


We Ain't Your Puppets

by SavvyHon



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alphys tries but awkwardly flops, And he is disgusted with himself because of it, Angst with a Happy Ending, Author loves to chat in the Comments, Bad Puns, Bad Times Ahead, Big Brother Papyrus, Blood and Violence, Brotherly Love, Depression, Dreams and Nightmares, Ectobiology, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Everybody loves Sansy!, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Feral Behavior, Flirt wars ahead, Forced Puns, Good gaster - Freeform, Grillby doesn't even know, Hugs and Cuddles, Hurt/Comfort, I'm a sucker for fluff, Idiots in Love, Laughter all around, M/M, Mental Abuse, Merciless tickling, Mettaton cannot comprehend this obliviousness, Mind Manipulation, Monster Dust, Multiple Endings, My own AU- Marionettetale, Night Terrors, No Smut, Oblivious Sans, Other, Panic Attacks, Papyrus Remembers Resets, Papyrus makes a joke, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Protective Papyrus, Protective Sans, Protective Undyne, Reader is genocidal maniac, Sad Papyrus, Samara flirts, Samara puns, Sans is smol bean, Self-Doubt, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Shipper Alphys, Shy Sans, Sinnamon Roll Papyrus, Skeletons can turn into Gaster Blasters, Suicide, Teasing, There's a lot of love, Tickle Fights, Underage Drinking, Undyne Remembers Resets, Undyne Swearing, Verbal Abuse, actually nearly everyone swears, additional warning in author's notes, big sister Undyne, choke on the fluff, dadster gaster, goopy Gaster, grillby is cheeky, i'm also a sucker for happy endings, sorrynotsorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-03-16 04:41:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 24,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13628787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SavvyHon/pseuds/SavvyHon
Summary: ...For everyone who returns to this story and sees this, please be aware that I am going to be remaking this story. I'll leave this one up for reading, but I don't think I like half of the things I did here anymore. So if you're willing to give me a chance to figure it all out, that would be awesome! I'm going to be changing HUGE plot things and characters and stuff, so BE PREPARED FOR THAT!





	1. InCOPrehension

_"Hush, dear children, do not quail,"_

_Long ago, two races ruled over Earth:_   
_HUMANS and MONSTERS._

_"You are strong, you will prevail."_

_One day, though..._   
_WAR broke out between the two races._

_"If you calm and do not wail,"_

_After a long battle, the humans were victorious._   
_And so they sealed the monsters Underground with a magic spell._

_"You will hear the Undertale."_

  
_**~~~**_

 

A small figure sits huddled up against the grimy, graffiti-covered wall of a dark, filthy alleyway, their vaguely muscular arms hugging their scuffed up knees close to their chest, and their face was hidden away by of curtain of long honey-brown hair, in which was tangled and dirty from neglect. Just from the body structure alone, it's distinguishable that this is a young adult. A girl, at that.

 

And it seemed the girl was waiting for something or someone, although no soul would dare even cross the mouth of the alley she was sitting in, afraid of what lies within the dark depths.

 

She couldn't bring herself to blame them-- it was only natural to be scared of the great unknown, and she was nearly positive that this was definitely not a place that gave off any friendly-feeling vibes. The starving darkness that would swallow an individual as soon as they step foot or paw in the alleyway certainly didn't help neutralize that fear.

 

The sound of bare feet slapping on concrete distracted the young woman from her train of thought quite fast, alerting her to a new and very anxious presence that, by the sound of the footsteps, was nearing quickly.

 

Before she could even process that there was someone running right at her, a rough hand grasped her forearm, pulled her up onto her feet, and dragged her out of the alleyway, not giving her much time to try and gain her footing so she wasn't a literal dead weight for the person.

 

Confusion and shock clouded her mind, and she dimly recognized the figure clutching her wrist tightly, gasping as she was forced to run-- more like stumble like a drunk fool-- after them. "E-Ember! What's going on?!"

 

"Unless you want to be arrested, I suggest you save your questions for later and focus on running!" Was the breathless, slightly snappy response.

 

 _Oh, oh crap!_ The realization of their not-quite-so-lucky situation suddenly caught up to her, and as a result, her legs began pumping harder to match strides with Ember.

 

The brunette glanced over her shoulder upon hearing shouts and barks from behind them, and laughed despite the fear crawling up her back. "Welp, I guess this means we're /officer/ criminals now." She joked with a mild grin, which only grew when the other groaned loudly.

 

Instead of indulging her with a response that would likely encourage more godawful puns, the blur-of-motion pulled her companion around a corner.

 

"Stop running!" Came a shout from behind them. "We are not your enemies!"

 

 _Yeah, I TOTALLY believe you._ She didn't speak up, though, her main focus being on forcing herself onward and dodging around random people. The people they ran past stared after them, flabbergasted. It probably didn't help that a gang of officers were tailing them.

 

The girl waved to everyone she and the blur ran past, giving a breathy "hello" or "hey" or "see ya later" to as many people as possible. But after greeting an old lady-- who rudely tried to smack her with her cane. I mean, come ON! What's HER problem?!-- she turned her attention to her companion. "So, where exactly are we going, Ember?"

 

Ember glanced back at her, and for once their eyes-- a bold honey-amber color-- weren't hidden behind a layer of auburn hair. Those pretty amber eyes were full of an intense ambition. 

 

"We are going to Mount Ebott, dear sister of mine."

 

**~~~**

 

The two siblings had long since ditched their legal pursuers, and they were now walking along an infamous trail on the equally-as infamous Mount Ebott.

 

There were many stories surrounding this mountain, the most popular legends were the ones full of monsters and magic. Some of these stories said monsters were ruthless creatures with no conscience, and some stories weaved a delicate and sweet personality to the monsters, who were unfairly sealed away.

 

But all stories ended the same way: if one climbs Mount Ebott, they won't ever come back.

 

"You don't seriously believe those stupid rumors, do you?" Ember questioned as they kicked a rock in their path, watching in morbid interest as it skittered off the edge of the mountain and tumbled down into the forest below. Now that they weren't a blur of motion, their features were easier to pick out. This tall tree of a person was a girl as well-- a fully-grown woman with a mature, hourglass body, because the narrator is a detailed bitch.

 

The other girl, likely a bit younger, watched with a small pout as the rock was sent veering off the mountain, briefly grieving for the lost rock. Seriously, what did the rock do to Ember to deserve such a devastating end? "Yeah, so what?" She grumbled defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

Ember snickered and patted her younger sister's head. "You're such a baby, Samara!" She declared, "I mean, seriously, those rumors are so fake even a fricking /unicorn/ could see right through them!"

 

Samara rolled her mismatched eyes at the accusation and swatted away the hand. "And you tooootally aren't a twitchy little rabbit right now!" She sassed right back, giggling when the auburn-haired female sputtered at the accusation.

 

"Am not!"

 

"Are too~"

 

"Am not!"

 

"Are too~"

 

"Am NOT!"

 

"Are too~"

 

"AM NOT!"

 

"Are too~"

 

"You edgy, calm bitch."

 

"Language, sis~"

 

"...Seriously?"

 

Samara laughed and ran ahead of her sister. 

 

"Wait, Mara! Don't just run off!" 

 

The brunette scoffed. "I'll be FINE, Ember! Stop being such a concernee!" She yells over her shoulder as she kept running. She wouldn't be running if she didn't know it was safe enough for such.

 

The trail they were using to hike up Mount Ebott was actually rather easy and tame compared to some other mountains. At first they had to climb up, but even that wasn't too difficult. ~~But I mean, easy climbing was kind of pounded into them anyway, so it might just be easy for them.~~

 

She gawked as the trail opened up into a lush clearing, her mismatched eyes wide in awe as she took in all of the nature. It was beautiful, she would digress, but nothing would beat their first time seeing the sky and the beauties it held. 

 

A sudden notion came to her. If the stories are true, then that means there ARE monsters sealed away because of the humans. That means they couldn't see the sun, the moon, the clouds, the stars... Her soul clenches with empathy and sadness for them, whether or not they actually existed, and whether or not they deserved to be sealed away.

 

Samara shook her head and went to march on, but to her shock, her foot met air, and she was suddenly pitching forward into a dark, gaping hole. Her breath was stolen away, staring into the darkness in useless panic.

 

"SAMARA!" Her sister's horrified scream met her ears, slowly fading away.

 

Was this really how she was going to die? After all of the shit they've endured, she's just going to die because she fell down a damn hole on this godforsaken mountain? 

 

She smiled bitterly as the darkness swallowed her.

 

Maybe fate's just that cruel...


	2. This is what you caused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Dehumanization implications, strong language, and PTSD.

_Sans's dim eyelights anxiously searched around the narrow golden hall, trembling as he fought back the oncoming panic attack. You always did this, you /always/ did this! After he uses a huge gaster blaster attack, you just disappear in thin air like you were never there to begin with! Which was preferable, of course, but it's not like he ever gets what he wants._

_"You really think you can beat me, Comic?" Your chilling voice, accompanied with that sickening little giggle, comes from behind him, and he swiveled around to face you, his eyelights disappearing out of fear. He felt his SOUL seizing in terror as he tried to calm down._

_But it was so hard to reign in his fear, especially when you were staring at him with soulless eyes. Especially when you were so much more powerful than him. Especially when you were toying with that goddamn knife._

 

_...Sans missed everyone so much... Without him, he was nothing. Without him, he was just..._

_Lost._

 

_Scared._

 

_Alone._

_Sans watched you twirl your dusty knife, tilting your head at him, almost at an unnatural angle. "Come on, where's your smile? I thought it was permanent." You taunted._

_The skeleton stayed mute-- he refused to humor you with any kind of response. "Fine, you can keep your silence, Comic, but I can't really promise I won't kill everyone all over again!" You hissed once you realized this. You got a flinch and a nervous step away in response._

_You're not a human... You CAN'T be a human! What kind of creature just kills for fun?.._

_How many times did you kill him? How many times did he kill you?_

 

_Hah..! At this point, he's lost count. But who cares? Every time he dies, you'll reset after a while and, whoop-dee-fucking-daw, everyone's alive again._

_It was so tempting to let you have your way. Why didn't he just give up? That's all he's good for anyway-- giving up, lying to everyone, pretending he was okay. They all deserved someone so much better than him._

_Sans could laugh for days at how weak he was. Undyne and Papyrus are so much stronger than he could ever hope to be. They remembered the resets, and yet they were nowhere near as pathetic as him._

_Perhaps that's his role in this cruel world. Perhaps he's meant to be a puppet, to be toyed with... Broken... Controlled. Maybe fate just hates him that much. He honestly doesn't blame fate._

_You scowl at him and start running toward him, apparently done with chatting. You don't even give your withered soul a glance when everything goes game-mode on you, and you don't stumble when your body fades just slightly. All you do is raise your knife and smirk at him._

 

_Sans yelped and tried to stumble back when you suddenly jump at him, but he tripped over one of the broken tiles and fell hard on his back. Stars danced across his vision when his skull smacked loudly against the bloody floor, and the pain that erupted from the impact had him gasping as your shadow fell over him._

 

_He shivered as he looked up at you, his fear pooling up in his eye sockets and rolling down his malleable cheeks. You laugh scornfully at the pitiful sight and snatch him by the hoodie before he could think to shortcut away from you. It's not exactly hard to pick him up, given that Sans wasn't really the biggest monster. He barely reached his brother's hips when he wasn't slouching, and even weight-wise he was small. I mean, he is a skeleton, anyway... Nothing but thin bones weigh him down._

 

_Maybe he should've fought against being picked up, maybe he shouldn't have just given up, but you were undoubtedly stronger than him with your LOVE-enhanced strength. Everything he did was pointless._

 

_The comedian choked back a sob and bowed his head in defeat, his small body going slack in your unforgiving grip. You laugh at the sudden change in demeanor. "Oh, you're so pathetic... So submissive... Maybe I can do something different this time. More... FUN."_

 

_Even though you're talking, the dusty knife trailing along the side of his skull is all he can focus on. His breath hitched as it slid under his chin and tilted his head up, forcing him to look you in the eyes. He whined in terror as you stroke his cheek with your free finger, drawing your face close to his._

 

_"We'll have lots of fun together, my little pet. But first, you need to be trained..." You purr, and before he could question what you meant, you hit him with the blunt of your knife._

 

_Consciousness slipped from his phalanges like water down a drain._

 

**~~~**

 

Papyrus was woken up when he heard a loud, distressed wail and felt a sudden, strong spike of magic. He'd recognize that magic signature anywhere-- it was his brother!

 

The tall skeleton rolled out of bed, practically tripping over his own two feet in his haste to get to Sans, blearily stumbling out of his room and down the hall.  _Is Sans Okay?! What Happened?! Was It Another Night Terror?!_

 

The panicked questions came to an abrupt halt when opened the door and saw his brother curled up on the carpeted ground. Shaking. Sobbing. Hyperventilating.

_Protect, Protect, Protect, Protect, Protect, Protect, Protect, Protect--_

 

"SANS!" Papyrus shouted and fell on his knees beside the smaller skeleton, picking him up and hugging him close to his chest. "IT'S OKAY, SANS! THEY'RE GONE! IT WAS JUST A BAD DREAM!"

 

Yelling certainly didn't help, but he entirely blamed his font for his volume. 

 

_Protect, Protect, Protect, Protect, Protect, Protect, Protect, Protect--_

 

All he could hear right now were the almost primal shouts bouncing around inside his skull and his brother's rattling bones. Thankfully, Sans did appear to calm down a bit when Papyrus's voice registered in his panicking mind. Almost as soon as the recognition came, so did the sobbed apologies, "papy... i'm— i'm sorry! i'm sorr—"

 

Papyrus hushed him.

 

He didn't like this at all. Why couldn't he ever help his baby brother? He obliviously let his brother suffer. He had failed to protect Sans. His brother's dust had been on his phalanges, his brother's favorite blue hoodie in his phalanges, his brother's blood coating his phalanges. The small skeleton had dusted right before his eyes--

 

_PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT--_

 

"You Have No Reason To Apologize, Sans." Papyrus assures in a soft voice.

 

It was much like the voice he used when he told himself that you were gone, that Sans was safe, that his friends were safe, that everybody was SAFE. He couldn't imagine what his brother had gone through... He's seen so much worse than him, and for how long? He wished that he could've taken his brother's place, because goddammit, Sans hadn't deserved any of that, no matter how much he might say differently.

 

Sans just whimpered in response and nuzzled his face into Papyrus's scarf, arms wrapped around the other in a desperate plead for affection, and who was he to deny?

 

Papyrus stroked the rounded skull, orange tears building up in his eye sockets as he felt Sans's fear, which was slowly fading as the elder brother sent commands and positive thoughts, values, and emotions to the smaller skeleton's mind through his SOUL's magic.

 

 _LOVE || SECURITY || WARMTH || PEACE || STRENGTH || REST || RELAX_  
_LOVE || SECURITY || WARMTH || PEACE || STRENGTH || REST || RELAX_

 

After a few minutes of doing so, Papyrus realized that the younger monster had finally quieted. Papyrus looked down, allowing for a weak smile.

 

Sans had fallen asleep, and it was safe to blame the emotion transfers-- or ETs, as Alphys liked to call them. Papyrus didn't know much about personal magic types, seeing as he wasn't exactly a nerd unlike his brother and Doctor Alphys, but his was definitely emotion transfers. And his brother was definitely going to be a bit drunk off the feeling when he woke up.

 

Not that Sans hasn't been drunk at one point before... 

 

_Thanks, Grillby, You Bastard. That Was Fun To Deal With._

 

Papyrus stood up, and only then he realized that his best friend was leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed and her singular, wild yellow eye staring down at the tiny bag of bones in his arms. Sorrow. Helplessness. Anger that was directed at herself.

 

"...Undyne?"

 

Undyne flinched at being addressed, and tore her eye away from Sans. "Another night terror?" She asks quietly, as to not wake up the sleeping comedian. 

 

He nodded grimly and lay his brother back on his lumpy little bed, his soul clenching painfully as he had to pry the fingers clinging desperately to his shirt before he could pull the blanket over Sans's small frame. When was the last time his brother slept without night terrors plaguing his sleep? When was the last time his brother had asked for his silly condiment? When was the last time he had--

 

A hand grasping his shoulder jerked Papyrus out of his downward-spiraling train of thought. He looked at the respected captain who, despite the boldness and shouting, was someone he'd grown to care about like a non-biological sister. "Do you want me to set up the shield again?" She asks him, but he hesitated. Wouldn't that put a huge strain on her-- physically and magically?

 

She insisted though, promising him that she wouldn't overexert herself like the first time, and it was only then he agreed. Despite her brute strength, Undyne didn't have an infinite magic supply. Hell, nobody did, not even a god themselves.

 

"Paps, you should go get ready while I do this. I'll be waiting outside when I'm done, alright?"

 

Papyrus agreed with that plan as his feet mindlessly carried him back. His room still had that childish feel to it, yet he couldn't find it in himself to be embarrassed. It reminded him of better times, of happier times. The timeline before Frisk was corrupted remained among one of his favorites.

 

As he pulled on the heavy armor, he wondered-- What would have happened if you never came? Would Sans be happier then? Would they be free of these nightmares-- night terrors? Or is his brother and everyone else just doomed to suffer? Would Papyrus have joined the royal guard? Probably not, he used to be so much softer and merciful.

 

Now?

 

"Nyeh Heh Heh..."

 

Why would he care about the species that gave them nothing but PAIN and GRIEF?..

 

With a renewed vigor to protect everyone he cared about, the tall skeleton summoned his weapon, which is a long magic-made bone that served as both a staff and a sword. In the very rare times that he used it as a weapon he would make one end taper to a sharp point. 

 

He stormed out of his room and down the stairs, making sure to avoid that stair that was unbearably squeaky. It would definitely wake Sans up again, and he didn't want his brother to follow him, not when there's going to be a blizzard later on. Papyrus stepped out of his house and shut the door behind himself, not at all fazed by the frigid wind as it immediately began attacking any part of him it could. He merely averted his eyelights to look at his captain, who nodded to him when she noticed him.

 

"Let's move, Paps."


	3. Emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn't think he'd ever be able experience emotion again. He thought he was a soulless husk, but...
> 
> Maybe... just maybe...
> 
> He has a chance.

Flowey didn't understand life anymore. He didn't know why he kept this angry facade up. He didn't know what to call himself. He didn't know why he kept waiting here as if they would actually come.

 

He just didn't know.

 

How long has it been since (Name) went on their rampage anyway? A month? three? six? A year? Two years? He didn't bother keeping track of the time, he had stopped trying a long time ago, even before the RESETs started. It was just too tedious to care anymore.

 

...Hah! Look at him-- thinking like the smiley fucking trashbag. 

 

What was he?

 

This unwelcome question made him pause in the anxious bouncing on his stem, his faux smile slipping into an uncertain frown.

 

That made him realize something, unnerving, and perhaps pathetic-- he didn't know who he was anymore. Was he still Asriel? Or was he just Flowey? Perhaps he was neither, perhaps he's just a soulless husk of a creature that shouldn't even exist.

 

The reminder that he was soulless brought in a new pang of bitter anger and, to his shock, loneliness. 

 

Flowey looked down at the grass around his stem, and he realized that the grass was glistening-- his face was wet. He was CRYING. But he was a FLOWER! He wasn't supposed to feel emotions... Right?..

 

"H-huh?!" He jolted when he heard the voice, and he looked up. It was another human... And damn, she was tall. Or maybe it was just how small he was that made him think that. In that case, everyone was a giant.

 

"Howdy!" He faked a bubbly smile and began to bounce on his stem again. "I'm Flowey, Flowey the flower! You're probably pretty confused, buddy, but don't worry, I'm more than happy to help you out!"

 

Despite his disbelief of such, he felt something he hadn't experienced for a very, very long time.

 

"Okay!" The human immediately accepts his help, and Flowey's shocked. He hasn't gotten such an easy compliance since Fr--

 

...Who was this weirdo?

 

Maybe it wasn't hopeless, maybe he wasn't doomed to be soulless forever, maybe they can all have a happy ending after all.

 

"Alrighty! Ready?"  

 

"Yes, mister Flowey!"

 

...Huh. Nobody's called him THAT before. _How interesting..._

 

...Hah, what a joke...

 

He initiates a fight and begins his explanation as the area around them goes dark. "Now, you see that floating--"

 

"I know about SOULs and ENCOUNTERs, mister Flowey!" The human-- he was finally able to distinguish them as a female-- declared, and he found himself surprised again, but he shook it off.

 

Flowey summoned some bullets. No use pretending anymore, right? The girl didn't seem to notice his newly bad intentions, seeming to think he was just testing her or something.

 

The soulless prince laughed numbly at himself. He was an IDIOT to think that HE of all creatures could ever have a happy ending. There was no happy ending. Just like Fr-- just like the seventh fallen human, this human will flip and kill them all. Then she'll RESET. Then she'll kill them again. RESET. Kill. RESET. Kill. RESET. Kill. RESET. Kill.

 

DODGE.

 

Over.

 

DODGE.

 

And.

 

DODGE.

 

Over.

 

DODGE. 

 

And.

 

DODGE.

 

OVER!

 

-19!

 

 _Finally_! Stars, this kid is even harder to strike than (Name)! 

 

He thought back on the monsters he had stalked-- ew! Not stalked, OBSERVED-- while he summoned some pellets to end the pitiful human's life.

 

He wondered how the smiley trashbag was faring. He hadn't visited Snowdin since the very last RESET. Even HE felt pity for that pathetic bundle of bones. (Name) had treated Sans... REALLY unpleasantly. Flowey shuddered when he remembered the things he saw the small skeleton endure. Yeah, he was definitely checking on that stupid smiley trashbag later.

 

...Not that he actually cared or anything-- don't even suggest that he did! He felt pity, nothing more!

 

He heard a sharp, appalled gasp, and saw something flying at him from the corner of his eye. Without even needing to look at who his attacker was, he slunk into the ground and retreated from the area.

 

He then thought about Papyrus. Did he ever get into the royal guard? He kind of doubted it, seeing as Papyrus was way too soft for something like that. Then again, he reluctantly admitted to himself, that stupid pacifist was actually pretty damn strong when he just let his magic flow go. During the time he talked to the skeleton, he also learned that Papyrus knew far more than he let on.

 

He popped up in an area nearby to watch them interact, and he realized that the human had fainted. _Pathetic_.

 

The fish lady and her crush suddenly intruded his thoughts. Had those two lovesick idiots confessed to each other yet? Is Undyne still Captain of the Royal Guard? Had Alphys told anyone of her, ah, "failed experiments"?

 

Flowey watched as the former queen scooped up the human and began to carry her away, and he bitterly smiled at the concern in those familiar crimson eyes.

 

Then, for whatever stupid reason, Mettaton and Napstablook came to mind. Did Mettaton finally get the Hell OVER HIMSELF? Did he finally get that "fabulous" body he wanted? What about Napstablook? Did that self-depreciating ghost finally accept himself? He doubted it.

 

Flowey found himself thinking about his family as he followed the goat lady and the new human through the ruins. He thought about Toriel; his loving, punny mother. About Asgore, his fluffy pushover of a father. About Chara, his sibling and very best friend.

 

He missed them so much...

 

Bitter tears stung his eyes, and he hastily wiped them away with his leaf. He wasn't weak. He wasn't weak! He was soulless, he shouldn't think about them! He couldn't love them, anyway.

 

What's the point in reminiscing when he can't feel anything for them?

 

He snorted at his own stupidity. He was such a fucking idiot, even more so than this stupid motherfucking naive human. Flowey looked up, and cursed when he figured out they were long gone.

 

He really needed to stop getting lost in thought. He was the god of HYPERDEATH!

 

...He's got his father's sense of creativity, doesn't he?

 

For the first time in a while, Flowey was filled with HOPE.


	4. Warm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus was happy to reunite a broken little family, but he really needed to continue his patrol before the storm got worse.
> 
> ...But it looks like they have a different plan for him.

Papyrus led his patrol through the knee-high snow determinedly, searching the area thoroughly to make sure there was nothing out of place, and listening extra hard to hear anything standing out from the whistling wind, rustling the trees and slapping against his face harshly. He noticed that wind was getting stronger the longer they went on. Colder.

 

That was more than fine, he's not exactly numb to the cold, but he's adjusted to it after some time and resets. He probably wouldn't feel the cold until it worsened, but he couldn't say the same for his patrol. He really hopes their fur isn't just for show. Or, uh, flames. Green flames? His patrol consisted of the Dogaressa, Doggo, Greater Dog, and a new recruit. 

 

The new recruit reminded him of Grillby-- the bartender of that greasy, but admittedly good pub-- and he briefly wonders if they're relatives or something. Maybe. It's worth asking about later.

 

"There's A Snowstorm Coming." He voiced aloud.

 

Doggo-- a lean anthropomorphic dog monster that could only see movements of objects and sentient and insentient beings-- glanced in the general direction of the skeleton, eyes squinting and then narrowing respectfully. "Seems so, sir." The dog agreed around his dog treat, sounding worried despite his unwavering scowl.

 

"(...What do you suggest we do, Deputy?)"

 

While he was in the process of shoving a branch aside with his bone staff, the Deputy answered, raising his voice to be heard above the wind when its intensity suddenly made it difficult to be heard over the loud howling. "SPLIT UP."

 

He finally stopped and turned to his patrol. "DOGGO, YOU HEAD TO YOUR STATION AND GUARD THE AREA THERE. DOGARESSA, KEEP WATCH HERE. DOGAMY MIGHT JOIN YOU IF I KNOW HOW UNDYNE THINKS. GREATER DOG, GO BACK TO THE AREA WITH SNOWPOFFS." The dogs had perked to attention when their names were called and their orders were given.

 

"AM I UNDERSTOOD?"

 

The dogs in question barked out affirmatives, one quite literally.

 

"Yes sir!"

 

"(...Of course, Deputy!)"

 

"* _Bark*_!"

 

Papyrus dismissed them easily with a single hand gesture and they all immediately dispersed, the pack of dogs' yips and barks fading as they left. He turned his attention onto the green fire element as she came closer to him, her dark eyes silently questioning why she hadn't gotten an order yet.

 

He rests the bone staff over his shoulder all too casually as he stared her down, perceiving the way her flames seem to quiver in anxiousness at his silence.

 

Since she was close enough to hear him without needing to shout, he spoke in a quieter, more pleasant voice. "State Your Name."

 

"Fuku Fire, sir."She answered, and he admired her bravery. She was nervous, Papyrus could tell, but she wasn't shying away from him. She held her head high and she looked him in the eye sockets.

 

Now don't go thinking he's being egotistical or anything. THAT side of him is well in the past-- it never really even existed. Just... He has a reputation for a reason, let's just stick with that and not dwell on the subject, alright?

 

The tall skeleton merely nodded and turned away, continuing his path into the snowy woods. "You Will Patrol With Me For Now." He told her over his shoulder.

 

He almost smirked at the waves of shock, nervousness, and excitement that rolled off her. She was quite easy to read, even if one wasn't even looking at her. After a few moments of silence, he just faintly heard her running to catch up to him. 

 

The two continued the patrol in relative silence, excluding, of course, the wind, the clanking of armor, and the rustling of leaves and creaking of branches. They kept talking to a minimum, only speaking when either of them had a question, or something in that field.

 

It had hit the three hour mark when the tall skeleton finally asked the question that's been on his mind since she was assigned to his patrol.

 

Papyrus glanced back at the element, coming to a stop in front of a puzzle as he tried to piece together how he would ask. "Do You Have Any Relatives Nearby?" Perhaps he was being a bit too vague...

 

Fuku was ducking under a branch in her path when she answered him. "I don't think so, sir."

 

"Apologies. You Just Resemble Someone I know Quite Well." 

 

 _Perhaps I'm Just Overthinking Things Again._ He mused to himself as he checked his puzzle to make sure it was set and ready. 

 

Lately he had gotten a little... MEANER with his puzzles. He makes them a little more dangerous and a lot less visible. The puzzles wouldn't KILL whoever triggered it-- because demon forbid the thought-- they were designed to capture them without harming them. It would only hurt them if they struggle.

 

...At all.

 

Lately his puzzles had began to work more like traps, and they were entirely unimpressive traps. Well, unimpressive to HIM, anyway. 

 

"Sir?"

 

Papyrus flinched when he was suddenly addressed, and he mentally chastised himself. What if something had happened while he was lost in la-la land? He couldn't afford to let his mind wander during his patrols, it was far too risky. Papyrus looked up at the newest recruit from his crouched position. "Yes Fuku?"

 

Fuku had been watching him look over his tr-- puzzles, having no idea what else she was supposed to do. She was standing and leaning against a small tree nearby.

 

"I would like to know more about this monster you insist I resemble." Fuku paused, and then quickly added on-- "Only if you're okay with telling me more, of course!"

 

The deputy stood to his full height, which had long since broken six feet. Actually, I think he's somewhere in the lower to mid seven-foot range... "No Need For That When We Can Just Go To His Pub." He says, allowing himself a chuckle when the recruit's face lit up. Her flames also expressed her joy by abruptly raging for a split second.

 

~~~

 

...Well then.

 

Papyrus smiles slightly as he watched the excited interaction between the reunited father and daughter, and to his amusement, their flames were twice as bright and intense as they had been prior. 

 

Only after they arrived to the diner did the skeleton realize how late it was and how tired he was. If the dimming of light in the area was not indication enough of the late hour, there was also the factor that nobody was outside or hanging around inside Grillby's. It didn't really matter to him though. He takes the safety of monsterkind VERYseriously, as shown by how he always keeps putting in more work and sweat than even Undyne, who knows her limits despite her normal audacity.

 

He still has a few rounds to complete before he can go home and rest. He still has a job to do. He still has a debt to repay everyone for letting them all die countless times, with him being none the wiser. If only he hadn't been so fucking STUPID, he could've saved so much pain. He could've stopped that demon. He could've helped Sans... Yet all he did was have hope they would realize what they're doing is wrong and stop. 

 

He had failed them all by letting his naive ideal that "anyone could be a better person if they tried" get to him.

 

Shaking his head to clear away the self-hatred so it didn't consume him right then and there, because that's something he can't afford, the tall monster began to head for the door to continue his patrol alone since he was quite sure the two fire elements would prefer to be left alone now.

 

A hesitant hand grabbing his arm stopped him before he could open the door. He blinked and followed the hand to Fuku, who had long since taken her armor off. 

 

*Sir, where are you going?* Fuku asks with a concerned frown.

 

He answers. "I Am Going To Finish My Rounds And Then Head Home." 

 

Grillby suddenly appeared at his side, fixing him with an unamused look as he spoke in the most deadpanned tone he'd heard from the bartender. *There's a snowstorm outside.*

 

The skeleton looks at the door, then back to the two fires, completely at a loss as to what his point was. "I'm Aware..?"

 

Grillby suddenly began signing to Fuku, and he wasn't going to lie and say he understood the flurry of hands and fingers whatsoever. It's been a while since he's read or used sign language, so it's not really surprising that his skill in understanding it is... lacking. Concerning, but entirely unsurprising.

 

They nodded to each other with similarly determined grins, and Papyrus was suddenly far mare wary. Just what had they--

 

Before that thought could finish itself, his metal chestplate was being unfastened and taken off by Fuku. 

 

Papyrus hissed in surprise and tried to jerk away from her, but a pair of warm arms wrapped around his-- CLOTHED, don't let your mind hit the gutter, you fucking sinner-- ribs and pinned his arms to his sides, pulling him against an equally-as-warm chest. "Let Me GO--"

 

*Pardon me, _Deputy Papyrus_ ,* He can practically FEEL the cheeky grin the other probably had on his face. *but you aren't going anywhere, not so _tired_ and _unprotected_.*

 

He violently squirmed as the rest of his armor was removed, simply leaving him in his "COOL DUDE" shirt he'd made himself a while ago, and some tan khaki pants. He tried his damnest to glare at the one monster that's managed to hold him unfairly easily, other than Undyne. And Sans, because fuck blue magic.  ANYWAY-- it wasn't exactly a cakewalk to look at someone behind you like THIS, though. "I Wasn't 'Unprotected' Before I Came In Here!" He shot back.

 

*Sounds interesting~* Grillby's flames crackled in amusement at the absolutely vexed look on the other's face.*"But you're still not leaving.* He states as he swept an arm under the skeletons knees, successfully shifting him to a bridal-style hold, much to Papyrus's displeasure. There were a few weak struggles, but the man of fire hadn't budged in the slightest. _Dammit, Grillby! I Don't Have Time For This, No Matter How Hot You Are-- Wait, What?!--_  

 

"My Rounds--" 

 

Fuku interrupted him. *Undyne will understand!"*

 

"My Brother--"

 

Now it was Grillby's turn to cut him off. *Sans will be fine.*

 

"But--"

 

* _Hush_.* Grillby growled beside his ear-- or lack thereof. Papyrus's face flushed a bright orange immediately, and he just quietly curled up toward the other, obediently falling silent. 

 

A short pause, then a chuckle as Grillby spoke up again, lifting Papyrus's head slightly by a forefinger and a thumb on his chin. *...And here I thought you were a dominant--*

 

"SHUT UP!" And Papyrus flipped him off, face burning even hotter now.

 

*Now, now, Papyrus, let's not rush things. While it would certainly warm you up, I'm afraid you're a bit too drained of energy for this activity.*

 

"!"

 

Grillby-- Fuku left a while ago, probably to prepare a bed or something-- laughed quietly as the flustered skeleton just hissed and curled up even further. _GODDAMMIT, GRILLBY!_ *Jokes aside, Papyrus, please just rest. You already push yourself far more than you should.*

 

"...I Do What I Do For A Reason, Grillby."

 

*You're slowly but surely killing yourself at this rate, Papyrus.*

 

"...And?"

 

*...*

 

...Papyrus noticed how much closer he was held, but didn't dare look up at the other's expression to confirm how badly he fucked up by saying that.

 

Instead, he remained silent, slowly relaxing in Grillby's protective hold and reluctantly allowing himself to drift off.

 

This was the warmest he's felt in a while...

 

But nothing good ever stays for long.


	5. Goat Mom is Best Mom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toriel's bad day isn't really improving much, but how can she stay mad at such a sweet child? A child whose reactions to simple gestures were very worrying...
> 
> And my goodness, what's with their wardrobe?!

Toriel would never understand the strange race that was humanity no matter how many books she read about them. She's always admired their oddity-- to survive in a big and dangerous world with such a low magic supply is an amazing feat. What they lack for in magic, they make up in physical strength, intellect, and DETERMINATION. The fact that they defeated monsters in the first war proved this fact.

 

While she was still curious why the humans hadn't just talked their problems out instead of waging war, she supposed their reasoning for the sudden act of violence was understandable. Unnecessary, but understandable. Since the humans don't have magic, they have to protect themselves without. So they harbor these strange instincts called fight-or-flight and an "adrenaline rush," whatever that meant.

 

... Oh my goodness. She got distracted again, didn't she? No matter.

 

The goat-lady was currently sitting in her beloved little chair while she read, though she was not exactly paying as much heed to the story as she would've liked to.

 

See, before her thoughts got off track, she had been thinking about the human she had barely managed to save from that odd little flower.

 

She was slightly disturbed-- not necessarily by the child themselves, as they had done absolutely nothing wrong. Toriel was more disturbed by the mass of tangled hair, the filth that entangled itself in said-hair and stained her unhealthily pale skin, the ratty clothes that showed how the child was practically just skin pulled over small bones.

 

With a frustrated sigh, the former queen set down her book since she was really getting nowhere with it; she had accidentally been reading the same page over and over for that past half-hour.

 

 Toriel then leaned back into her chair and simply thought about the child. Whoever had been taking care of them before, she was absolutely livid with the guardian. How could they have neglected the child's health? Or perhaps they had run away... Either way, that guardian had failed the little one. Perhaps this was HER chance to step in, since the child's guardian didn't seem to give a fat rat's tail about their child.

 

An insistent tug on her robe startled Toriel from her thoughts, and perhaps it was for the best. They would've just gotten darker and heavier otherwise. She looked down and smiled at the focal point her thoughts had been orbiting around. 

 

Toriel reached out to pat the child's head, but quickly withdraw when they flinch and lean away from her touch. A pang of worry hit her directly in the SOUL when she noticed the brief flicker of fear in their mismatched eyes and gaunt face before it was all forced back to neutrality.

 

"...M-Miss Toriel?.."

 

'+ Yes, my child?'

 

Toriel's soul just about shattered as those mismatched eyes look up at her face innocently as they asked; 

 

"What's a 'bath'?.. You, um, you said you... w-wanted me to take a bath after I ate, r-right?.."

 

**~~~**

 

A tender, sweet smile graced the mother-hen's muzzle as she gently stroked the little brunette's newly-cleaned, and very long hair. She was surprised by how long a human's hair can get.

 

After she had been asked what a bath was, she had been adamant about giving them a warm bath and new clothes (i.e.; some of her smaller robes) and plenty of food to make their tiny belly just shy of miserably full. Now, they were asleep in her lap, hugging her and twitching in their sleep adorably. 

 

She had some time to gather her thoughts now that they were asleep and comfortable, and she was going to take this opportunity.

 

With a sigh, Toriel recalled what happened earlier today.

 

<<<

 

_Toriel woke up to the 'light of day' as some called it now, but no. It wasn't really sunlight, everyone knew this, despite more than a few pretending that it was. It was merely the dimming and brightening magic from the core in Hotland-- a place that she really despised because of the unbearable heat that came with it. She had a lot of fur to carry on her body, you know. It wasn't exactly PLEASANT._

_She frowned and tiredly rubbed at her face while she sat up. A sense of weariness and crushing sorrow enveloped her as soon as she did, and she sighed._

_"It's going to be another long day." The former queen muttered to herself unhappily. It didn't matter, she still has a promise to keep. To herself, to Asgore, to all of monsterkind, to the humans and their young, to..._

_A lump quickly formed in her throat._

_...To her dear, sweet lost children, Asriel and Chara._

_There was no time to let herself be lost in memories right now. Maybe when she returned to her little house later on, but definitely not now. With that in mind, Toriel got properly dressed and left her home, trying almost desperately not to scowl or make an other remotely dark expression. She's scared that poor Whimsun and his Froggit friend enough with her foul moods._

_She went through the puzzles with no trouble, occasionally stopping to help or talk to a monster lingering in the ruins._

_"M-m'am?" Toriel paused when she heard the timid voice behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder, a soft smile crossing her muzzle when she pinpointed who it was, despite her already having a guess._

_'+ Yes, sweetie?' The goat lady asks gently, as to not scare Napstablook. He was a skittish one, and it would break her heart to see him flinch away from her._

_Napstablook's cheeks flushed a translucent blue at the endearment, and he shyly looked down. "I'm sorry to bother you, but you looked sad... Ohhhhh... I'm sorry... I'll go..." he already began to vanish with tears pooling up in his eyes._

_'+ Wait, Napsta-' He was gone before she could stop him. '+ Oh my...'_

 

_Well, that could've gone worse, she supposed._

_With a sigh, Toriel decided she would merely seek him out later. That little sweetheart really needs a boost in confidence, and maybe trusting him will help with that. It might even help her too._

_Yes, she would talk to him after she was--_

_The former queen peeked into the next room, and she saw RED._

 

_Or maybe her fireballs were to blame._

_Once the horrible little flower left, she gazed at the child that had been attacked._

 

_They met her gaze with wide mismatched eyes full of awe, before they fainted._

 

_...It's going to be a very long day indeed._

>>>

 

"Miss Tori?" She blinked at the sudden voice and glanced down at the child in surprise. Why are they awake so late? Toriel decided against asking in case they got the wrong idea. Instead, Toriel smiled down at the brunette. '+ Yes, my child?'

 

"... I-I don't know anything about mothers other than what my sister told me. She said that mothers are people who hug you and encourage you when your sad, and fuss about you when your sick, and read you stories... T-they make sure you're happy..."

 

The child looked up at her with a hesitant hope in their odd eyes, and their voice came out in a soft whisper, the same hesitant hope audible in their words. "Can you be our mother?.."

 

Toriel's pretty crimson eyes widened at the question. None of the other humans had ever actually asked her to be their mother, they just called her 'mom' or 'goat mom'. But this child...

 

"'+ Of course, my child!' She answered immediately, just about squishing the small human-- at least, small in her eyes-- close as she hugged them. '+ I'll be you and your sister's mother.'

 

She would protect this child no matter what they decided, even if that was to leave the ruins. This child will NOT end up like the rest, even if she has to risk her life to make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be trying a new system.
> 
> <<<: Memories/past events, etc.  
> ***: Dreams/nightmares, etc.  
> >>>: Going back to the present.  
> ~~~: Skipping time.  
> ^^^ Switching point of views.
> 
> Let's see how this turns out, yeah?


	6. F e a r

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> C A N ' T . . . F E E L . . . A N Y T H I N G . . . B U T . . . F E A R . . .

It wasn't the first time he felt that odd tug at his magic, like a persistent child-- he cringed at the analogy and immediately dropped that train of thought before it even began to fester. That persistent tug usually meant that someone had left the ruins, and...

 

Well, that always turned into a huge extirpate if his muddled mind remembers correctly. It could be ANYONEcoming out of the ruins, anyone at all. It could just be Napstablook heading back home after his stay in the ruins for all he knew. Yet the worry still gnawed at him, feeding him with negative thoughts.

 

What if they were like (Name)?.. What if they WERE (Name)?!

 

Panic gripped his mind in a tight, unforgiving coil at the mere thought, his breathing falling uneven and worryingly fast as he rolled off his bed with a muffed clanking sound. 

 

That would've hurt a little more if he didn't feel so damn numb, and if he had a guess as to why, it was likely because of his brother's emotion transfers. Usually they were reserved only for special occasions, like nightmares or to distract someone from their agony, whether it be physical pain or emotional pain. _enough, sans! focus, focus!_

 

Sans struggled to his feet, quickly making his way out of his room and down the stairs, only pausing when he reached the ground. If the clanging and cursing in the kitchen said anything, his escape would have to be deathly quiet. Luckily though, the loud noises would make that possible.

 

The mild comfort the familiar noises brought was drowned out by a mind-consuming fear and desperation. For everyone. For Papyrus. For Undyne. Maybe even for himself.

 

_protect them._

_save them._

_do something useful._

_can't fail them._

_not again._

_never again._

_stop the **demon**._

The thoughts were rather short and choppy-- like someone who doesn't know how speak English.

 

He gave himself a moment to orient himself before he began to sneak toward the door, and it wasn't that much of a hard feat, seeing as he wore house slippers ninety percent of the time.

 

Despite the few advantages he had, he sincerely doubted it would be easy to get out without being noticed, and the green spear that sailed harmlessly over his head to embed itself into the door proved this fact quickly enough.

 

"EY SMALLS! Where do you think you're going?!"

 

Webbed hands caught him and hefted the small skeleton high into the air, much to his displeasure. He whined and squirmed, thoughts orbiting around the possible scene he would face.  _doors, open? confused. explore new area. purple robes. dust. more dust. so much **dust**._

 

Tears were spilling from his eye sockets before he even realized they were forming, the unwelcome images replaying themselves again and again and again.

 

_not again! please, not again! nononono--!_

 

Sans began to thrash around in his friend's scaly arms. He needed to go-- he needed to know if they were safe or not! It's the least he can do to atone for the stupid mistakes he's made before, and the stupid mistakes he's been making recently. It's better than being an apathetic lazy asshole for once in his goddamn life.

 

"WHOA! Sans, calm down!" Undyne grunted when a bony elbow nailed her in the stomach, but she refused to let him go, which only frustrated him further. Why wouldn't she just let him go?!

 

_shortcut, shortcut, shortcut!_

 

His magic tingled in his bones as he complied mindlessly with the primitive command, cursing himself aloud when he realized that his friend was still holding onto him, but it was far too late to go back.

~~In void.~~

 

~~Static. Dark. Friendly?~~

 

~~Out void.~~

 

They landed somewhere among the trees in the Snowdin forest, the pathway that connected Snowdin and the ruins within their sight. While the guppy was momentarily stunned by the sudden use of a shortcut, he managed to wiggle himself out of her arms and bolt away before she could compose herself.

 

He ran straight for the ruins doors, but they weren't open. They were only closed if Toriel was alive, right? Why would they spare her? And if they did kill her, then why would they close the doors after themselves? There's no point in doing so...

 

Where are they? How far have they gone? How long have they been gone? They couldn't have gotten too far, though... I mean, didn't they just leave the ruins? Did... did they know he'd be coming?

 

Hah! Who is he kidding?.. Of course they knew. (Name) ALWAYS knew.

 

But his problem is-- where the fuck ARE they?!

 

Sans turned and began to frantically look around. Were they hiding somewhere, waiting for the perfect moment to attack? Or were they already long gone? Wh--

 

His eyelights fell on the duo a good distance away, and he whimpered quietly when he noticed they were looking right at him.

 

A tall bipedal goat lady stands tall and regally, and he thought he recognized her. Toriel, wasn't it? He couldn't quite recall, that timeline was long since forgotten by him. Beside Toriel was a human wearing clothes similar to her own.

 

...A human that wasn't (Name).

 

Shivering violently while digesting this new, disturbing information, Sans took a few steps backward, trying to distance himself from the two of them. He regretted coming out here. 

 

"Wait, please!"

 

The small skeleton's breath hitched when the human began walking toward him, their face pinched up in concern. Sans jerked back and winced when his bony back slammed painfully against the ruins doors, and he began to shake even harder as he realized he was basically cornered, and he couldn't teleport away-- Undyne was still nearby!

 

The merciless, cruel wind nipped at his face, but he couldn't registering the biting chill. His mind was a swirling, twisted mess of confusion and panic. He felt like he was drowning in his fear. It was suffocating, he couldn't breathe, it was like the breath was being choked out of him by imaginary hands--!

 

The human shuffled forward cautiously, their mismatched eyes staring at him in open, unabashed concern. "Are you okay?" Their voice, though quiet and calm as it sounded, only served to make him press his spine further into the surface behind him, flinching away violently.

_nonononono!pleasenotagainpleasenotagainpleasepleaseplease--_

 

"sta—" His voice cracked, and he had to force the words out in a trembling, weak voice. "stay back!" He couldn't even act intimidating. How pathetic could he get?..

 

He whined, because instead of doing as he asked, she trotted even CLOSER to him. When she was barely three feet away, his already dim eye lights vanished and he shut his eye sockets, slumping weakly against the doors. Somehow, his breathing managed to kick up a notch in speed, the cycle halting painfully when a yowl ripped itself from his only-magically-existing throat.

 

_too close. get away. gotta run. flee. can't run. magic low. can't fight. gonna die. **gonna die**._

 

Sans was just on the verge of surrendering to his inevitable fate, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice growl in an equally-as familiar language:

 

[ _ **"GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER."**_ ]

 

He opened his eye sockets, surprised when he sees Papyrus crouched in front of him like a feral animal protecting their cub. His big brother's face was twisted into a dark snarl, and his eyelights were dark voids, said-eyelights being replaced with an eerie orange flame in his right eye socket.

 

The human was trembling from their new spot in the snow, a hand over the designated spot of their soul as they stare at the taller skeleton in shock. Toriel hovers near the human, just as stunned as they were.

 

Sans had never seen his brother look so... aggressive. Papyrus looked like he was ready to rip someone's throat out.

 

He wouldn't admit to himself, or to ANYONE, for that matter-- because this is PAPYRUS, goddammit-- but this side of his brother actually scared him a little, whether directed at him or not.

 

When he was finally composed enough to peel himself away from the double doors, he stumbled forward and desperately latched onto his brother's leg-- the only place he could really reach, damn his short stature-- and it was only then he realized how hard he was shaking. He could almost hear his bones rattling over the shrieking wind.

 

"papy..." He whimpered in relief, his panic eased immensely at the appearance of the Deputy. Papyrus looked down at him with an affectionate smile that was full of just as much relief, and his eyelights flicker back to replace the orange flame. The elder skeleton then picked Sans off the ground and tucked him close to his armored chest, nuzzling the top of his skull protectively.

 

Sans instantly relaxed and returned the favor, nuzzling his face into his brother's fuzzy red scarf while desperately hiding from the stares burning holes in his bones. He didn't want to see them, he didn't want to leave his brother's arms, he didn't want to be hurt again... Was that really so hard to ask?..

 

He realized how cold and tired he was, and he tried to cuddle even closer into Papyrus's warmth, the world around him slowly melting away into a comfortable blur. No matter how hard he tried to fight it, the mewling bundle of bones was quickly falling asleep now that he knew he was safe. _safe... warm... secure..._

"It's Okay Brother, I'll Protect You." Papyrus assured quietly, and took to stroking the other's skull soothingly, nodding mutely to his fish friend, who returned his nod in complete understanding. She had come out of nowhere, but was now really the time to ponder on this? It's Undyne, the crazy monster who loves vanishing into shadows, setting fire to her house, and can lift shit twice her size and maybe eight... nine... ten times her weight.

 

"If you think I'm going to be letting you hurt these dorks, then you better think again... Hear me, human?.. Make no mistake." Was a dark warning from the Captain.

 

The deputy sauntered to her side, readjusting his grip on Sans so that the smaller monster would have a more comfortable slumber.

 

"Come." Papyrus commanded, a cold edge to his voice, before he began to walk straight past them all, setting a decently fast pace that should be easy enough to keep up with. He expected to hear footfall behind him, because... Asgore help them if they don't follow.

 

Fortunately, he was not disappointed.


	7. Just another puppet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Check me." 
> 
> "w-what?"
> 
> "Check me."

The group-- consisting of the Captain and Deputy of the Royal Guard, a passed out little skeleton in his brother's arms, a goat lady that looked like a female Asgore, and a tiny human-- arrived in Snowdin around nightime. Well, what they considered nighttime, anyway.

 

When the residents of the sleepy little town saw the group, they were rightfully concerned, but every time a monster attempted to approach and ask what happened, they would get a sharp glare from the Captain and her Deputy, and they scurry off with no further words. Nobody wanted to entail the wrath of either of them alone, but BOTH of them? At ONCE? Whoever pissed them off were just desperate to die!

 

But hey, it's probably for the best that they don't know what's going on. The residents are smart enough to avoid asking more than once, so they most likely won't have too many problems.

 

Papyrus tiredly rubbed at his long temple, ignoring the heaviness in his limbs as he did so. Chancing a glance down at the human, he realized their skin was growing way too pale to be healthy, and then he looked at the former queen standing behind her protectively. _Nyeh Heh Heh... She Really Hasn't Changed At All, Has She? She Doesn't Even Look That Different..._

 

"Papyrus?" Undyne's voice brought him out of his thoughts, and his fish friend had already unlocked the door, now fixing him with a concerned frown. "You coming in or are you just gonna stand there?"

 

He jerkily nodded, especially when his brother shivered a bit. Seems that he would have to take out the "blanket fort" blankets for tonight, as it was beginning to become a necessity, for both his brother and the human. While he didn't trust them and would rather kill them to harbor the last SOUL needed to escape their prison, Toriel had a reason for following them out of the ruins. She's... never followed a human out of the ruins before, at any cost. Seems this one was different. 

 

The skeleton reluctantly handed over his brother to Undyne, revealing his next plan of action to her, and asking her to keep an eye on their... 'captives', so to say. It was both to make sure neither Sans or Undyne was hurt, but also to protect Toriel, and somewhat to protect the human if they try to run outside. Even if they managed to get past the blizzard, the kid would have trouble defending themselves against a bunch of wary monsters. 

 

 

He pushed his thoughts away and focused on his current task, because he was damn sure he could hear Sans's bones rattling, even as he departed upstairs and headed into his room. He did NOT want his brother to get sick again.

 

Recalling the timelines when the other had gotten sick?.. Papyrus grimaces as he dug out some blankets from his closet, which were sitting an old, but well-preserved, chest. Let's just say he hadn't exaaactly the picture of calmness during those anxiety-inducing timelines...

 

...And Undyne still teases him.  _Damn You, Undyne. You're Far Too Lucky You're Our SOUL sister._

 

It's always been a nerve-wracking experience to nurse his brother back to health, because there's the chance-- no matter how miniscule-- that he'll Fall Down. Permanently. Never waking up. A pile of dust, just like--

 

Papyrus shook his head to dispel the thought quickly while he shut the closet door, then staring at his reflection in the mirror on said-door. How long has it been since he snapped? How long has it been since Sans were free from nightmares? How long has it been since Undyne practically moved in with them? How long has it been since Alphys last visited? How long has it been since the RESETs finally stopped?

 

He couldn't tell... He really couldn't tell anymore...

 

While staring at the armored stranger in the mirror, he realized how much he had changed. Papyrus had once been so open and kind. He had once believed in the good of others, but now?

 

Fury danced in the magic throwing through his bones, and before he could compose himself, his metal-clad fist came in contact with the mirror, completely shattering and destroying it. He ignored the glass that bounced off or embed into him. That demon didn't deserve his mercy. They didn't deserve anyone's mercy.

 

Especially Sans's. What they did to his little brother had been a permanent scar on his mental state, and it was disgusting what he learned when he had to dig into Sans's memories. That fucking human had hurt Sans in more way than just one. No, hurt was an unacceptable, underwhelming word. That human had fucking MURDEREDhis baby brother's will to live--

 

**_Nyeh heh heh..._ **

 

He stares at the shattered remains of the mirror that reflected the monster he had become. He couldn't say he was disappointed, but at the same time, he wasn't about to say he was proud. To be honest, he hadn't ever thought he'd experience hatred for another living, sentient being.

 

But (Name) proved him wrong.

 

Papyrus almost stiffened when he felt an involuntary chill run down his spine as he was suddenly hugged by cold, distinctively goopy, invisible arms. Maybe he was losing it, because he swore he also heard a warped voice, speaking in a language he knew far too well.

 

~~_**["*...Papyrus, my boy... I'm so sorry..."]** _ ~~

 

"M-mister skeleton?" He suppressed a flinch and turned his attention to the intruder in the room. It was the human.

 

...Why didn't that concern him as much as it did?

 

"...Problem?"

 

"I was just checking on you, is all. I heard glass shatter up here, so... I got worried..." They sheepishly averted their mismatched eyes.

 

"I... See... Should I..?" An awkward probe for their name.

 

The human giggled at his attempt, and decided to spare him his dignity. "I'm Samara Love! Not the bad kind, either!"

 

Huh. What an intriguing name, and it somehow sounded familiar to him. 

 

Papyrus awkwardly returned the smile fixed toward him hesitantly, and handed her one of the blankets. "Yes, Well, I Am Fine, Er... Samara." He replied simply as he headed out of his room and descended the stairs again with the human trailing behind him without needing to be told. At one point he had looked back, instantly regretting it when he met their earnest stare while they wrapped the blanket around their small, shivering frame.

 

He really didn't understand this human, but then again, humans were a strange species. The lot of them deserved to rot in Hell, but a good amount of humans were actually decent people, so... Maybe. Maybe this human--

 

NO. That stupid mindset got him _killed_ too many times to count. He refused to trust anyone that wasn't in his little circle of friends. He didn't want to leave Sans to suffer ever again. HE FUCKING REFUSED.

 

Undyne regarded the two as they return, and if she didn't have a small skeleton nuzzling into her stomach like an affectionate kitten that one-eyed stare would've been pretty intimidating.... Actually, it was still pretty intense. Dammit _._

 

He cringed and tactfully avoided looking at her directly, shifting to lessen the pressure of heavy steel weighing down on his bones and trying to be inconspicuous about it. But inconspicuousness wasn't exactly his forte when he was in her presence, _apparently_.

 

It appeared his best friend was as perceptive as always. "PAPS! Take that damn armor off RIGHT NOW! Or do you want ME to rip it off you by FORCE?!" she smirks at the appalled glare he sent to her, and added, "Don't give me that look! You cuss too, you goody-two-shoes!"

 

Papyrus sputtered at her accusation with wide eye sockets, but she cut him off by repeating her order sternly. (well, uh, she _tried_ to be stern, anyway. she nearly lost it when she saw his exasperated and shamefaced pout.)

 

Huffing indignantly at the guppy and, ignoring the titters of the other occupants of the room, he began peeling off the bulky armor, which earned a squeak, a surprised blink, and a loud snort. It was pretty funny when the human flushed a bright red and hid her face in Toriel's arm.

 

"Papyrus!" Toriel scolded when she got over the shock, "You can't just take your armor off in front of everyone, dear!"

 

He looked far too amused for it to be genuinely innocent. "Don't Be Silly, Asgore's Clone! It's Not Like I'm Bare Under My Armor!" was that a smirk? He was definitely smirking!

 

The goat woman rolled her eyes and shook her head, fighting the smile that desperately wanted to show itself.

 

Undyne, however, was chuckling away, unintentionally ignorant to the skeleton in her lap. So she was _pretty_ surprised when a rounded skull headbutted her stomach with a sleepy, halfhearted growl that quieted her laughter comically fast. Her attention now on the small monster, she took his chin (as gentle as she could be.) and tilted his faceplate toward her. "Yo smalls, you awake?!"

 

All she got in reply was another sleepy growl.

 

The royal guardsmonster, now free from the extra weight, sat down on the couch beside his friend, peering down at Sans in a confusing mix of fondness, hilarity, and concern. "Brother?" he raised a bone brow. (uh, skeleton eyebrow? Skele-brow? I dunno!)

 

"yer loud, 'dyne." Sans finally drawled as he glared up at her with drowsy, starry eyelights. " _too_ loud."

 

The guppy scowled in mock offense and shoved him off her lap, earning a drawn out whine from said-monster. "The jackass is definitely awake!"

 

Papyrus shot her a playful glare and picked Sans up, cuddling the rejected bundle of bones close to his clothed sternum. "How Dare You, Undyne?! My Brother Is An Angel Compared To You!" he says dramatically, and to seal his point, he pressed his teeth to the smaller's skull.

 

"yeah, 'm totally an angel." the comedian agreed, a lazy grin directed at his piranha-esque friend, who scoffed and rolled her eye before she looked over at their "guests". 

 

For some reason, Samara's face was hidden in her crossed arms, and she was making some really weird noises. Toriel's shoulders shook as she tried to repress laughter.

 

...Undyne decided not to question it.

 

Sans, confused by her derailed attention, followed her face, and was instantly reminded of the events earlier today. The lighthearted mood that had been built instantly fell flat as the staring went on.

 

"CHECK me."

"w- what?"

"CHECK me." 

"but-"

"Please?"

 

"...l'right. jus' know 's yer own call, kid." Sans sighed and fixed his stare on her chest, focusing his magic on her soul. He couldn't quite see the trait or the color of her soul, but her stats did come up.

 

 **SAMARA LOVE**  
**LV 1**  
**HP: 800/800**  
**AT: 0(10)** **EXP: 0**  
**DF: 0(15)**     **GOLD: 0**  
***Just another puppet.**

 

His shrunken eyelights slid up to meet her mismatched eyes, and he felt a warmth shoot through his own soul. Perhaps Sans can learn to trust her with time, but for now...

 

He offers a metacarpal to her, and she took his hand.

 

Two loud farting sounds broke the tense silence.

 

_**PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT!** _

 

Skeleton and human shared delighted grins as the other three looked on with no small amount of surprise and agitation.

 

"'m sans. sans the skeleton." 

"Hiya Sans The Skeleton, I'm Samara!"

 

And with that joke, (followed by an exasperated growl, blankets being tossed down, and an undignified snort) the two burst into easy laughter.

 

Sans was content.


	8. This is why he never makes promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With that in mind, Sans took a shortcut into Snowdin. And then he froze.

After the long day they've had, it was safe to say that they were all pretty damn exhausted by the time they decided to turn in for the night. Sleeping arrangements were needed because of their temporary guests, but it hadn't been that hard to figure out.

 

They had ultimately decided that the former queen and her "child" would take Sans's room, while Undyne would sleep on the couch in the living room. This left the two skeleton brothers temporarily rooming, but neither of them were about to complain about this arrangement. In fact, Sans had missed the timelines when he cuddled the hell outta his brother.

 

Of course, this resulted in Papyrus being twice as affectionate and teasing him nonstop about being a "cuddlebug" until his cheekbones were stained a dark navy blue. But he didn't _really_ mind being called as such, nor did he protest to the excessive amount of affection, eagerly returning each hug and nuzzle as if it would be the last. And with his fucked up luck? That was pretty likely.

 

Sans squirmed around under the thick blankets after mentally deciding he shouldn't let himself go to sleep, but his catnapping brother unknowingly stopped him when he pulled the smaller skeleton flush against his clothed sternum, eliciting a surprised squeak from said-monster. Papyrus purred contentedly now.

 

Starsdammit, now he's stuck here!

 

Even though he felt very comfortable and like he would fall asleep at any given moment, he knew there were consequences. Sleeping meant there would be nightmares, and nightmares meant being mocked for how worthless he was, by his own mind nonetheless.

 

He was sick and tired of watching everyone he loved die over and over and over and over again, but there was nothing he could do about the memories. Sans constantly had nightmares. No, not night _mares--_  night _terrors_. All he wanted was one night of peace. Just _one night_ was all he asked for...

 

Sans was trying to stay awake. Stars above, he was trying so damn hard. But he felt so _warm_... So _safe_... surely it wouldn't hurt just to close his eye sockets for a little while?

 

No! No! He can't fall asleep! He can't watch them die all over again! He can't! He can't! HE cAN't!

 

Even so, Sans was nodding off.

 

 

* * *

 _Why was he at his sentry post? Wasn't he supposed to be at home with his brother?  They were just cooking together, were they not? Had it been a dream, or?--_ _Oh.._

 

_His soul sunk as he realized what happened; you had reset. Again. Before you even completed your journey. That's too bad, he had actually been enjoying this timeline since you were fairly merciful this time 'round._

_Shaking off his melancholy to ponder about more deeply later on, he looked around while checking his magic reserves, wincing at how low they appeared. Damn... He'd only have enough magic to 'port himself into Snowdin, but he'd be practically helpless for a little while after that. That's okay, though. He knows his bro would help him._

 

_With that in mind, Sans took a shortcut into Snowdin._

 

_And then he froze._

 

_The nippy air was suspiciously hard to breathe in and it had this oppressing, eerie feeling to it, like there was some sort of distress. This sense of foreboding was nothing new to him, because while you weren't that bad, you certainly had bad timelines where you killed a lot of monsters- enough to install fear in them all, including himself._

 

_Sans shivered anxiously and stuffed his metacarpals in his pockets, beginning his trek into the cozy little town. Which he realized, his eyelights guttering out in horror, was full of  nothing but **dust**._

 

_Papyrus! He needed to find Papyrus!_

_Sans began propelling himself toward the spot his brother usually encountered you, his breaths coming hard and fast as he passed his favorite establishment and then their little home._

 

_"paps," he manages to wheeze out, "you better not be dead! i- i'll kill you if you're dead!"_

  

_The comedian was stumbling by the time he had reached the foggy area, panting up a storm and all but forcing himself to at least walk as fast as he could._

 

_He couldn't deal with a world without Papyrus, as selfish as it might be. That over dramatic dork was all he had left to live for anymore after... after G̸̿ä̷s̶ṫ̸er̴ left. Papyrus was the sun after a storm in his dull grey world. He couldn't loose Papyrus- NOT NOW!_

_After searching through the unbearably thick fog desperately, he finally spotted Papyrus's silhouette after a a while, but it looked like his bro was holding something- no... No... NO!_

 

_His horror and fear was what made him run toward the silhouette, stretching out his hand, a painful scream burning his nonexistent throat. " **p̶a̵p̸y̸r̴u̴s̶**!" his voice had never touched such loud levels before this._

 

_Now that he was a little closer, he could see he was right to panic. Papyrus looked over at his brother with wide eyes sockets, blissfully unaware of your evil intent. "BROTHER? ARE YOU OKAY? WHAT'S-"_

 

_"no, papy!" he wails when you plunge the dusty knife into his big brother's skull, not so much as a shocked gasp leaving the tall monster before he disintegrated into dust before Sans's very eye sockets. He slowed to a stop, staring at the dust pile and the scarf in disbelief. He didn't notice you running off, and he didn't care right now._

 

 _He collapsed to his patellas in front of the other skeleton's remains, picking up the tattered red scarf. And t_ _hen the waterworks came in a flood of blue magic and hiccups and heaving sobs. He was so fucking disgusting..._

 

_"p-papy... *sniff* papy! *sob* no! *sniff* you can't be gone! you can't be- *sob* gone! you can't! you just can't..." no matter how hard he tried to deny it, he knew the cold truth was held tightly in his hands, fluttering in the newly fierce wind._

 

_"i'm so sorry! *sob* i failed you! *hic* i- i failed everyone! *sniff* they're right! i'm so f- *sob* fucking worthless!"_

 

_Why did you murder them? Why? Why did you do it?_

 

 _"_____, why did you do this?!"  he screams, although he full well knew you were long gone at this point. The blue residue stains his malleable cheeks, blurring his vision as his small ribs contract and squeeze._ _Why would you do this? Were you actually laughing at him from wherever you are now? Was he really so damn naive that he thought you wouldn't have eventually killed Papyrus?_

 

_The comedian choked on his sobs, and wrapped the dusty scarf around his vertebrae. He refused to let anyone's deaths remain unavenged. He would make sure to give you one hell of a bad time._

 

_Even if he had to die to do it._

 

 

_~~~_

_He chuckled humorlessly as he stared at you from across Judgement Hall, his grin sharp and unforgiving and his magic crackling in the golden room dangerously._

 

_"sorry tori." he whispers as his left eye socket begins burning with a cyan light, grimly chuckling at the shocked look on your face as he summons his gaster blasters._

 

_"this is why i **never** **make promises**."_

* * *

 

 

Sans jolted up with a strangled scream, unintentionally startling the monster next to him into wakefulness. He felt bony arms embrace his small frame and he jerkily looked up.

 

 _Papy_! It was _Papy_! He was _safe_!

 

Hah, no thanks to him...

 

The smaller slumped into his older brother's embrace and began to cry as his heavy tongue tried to form words. "i'm sorry! i'm sorry! i'm stupid! i'm worthless! i'm so sorry! i can't do anything right! they killed you! they killed everyone! i'm a _failure_!--"

 

"Comic Sans G̵a̸̍s̸t̶ē̷r̸͝." 

 

He immediately fell quiet when he heard Papyrus's stern, yet hushed voice, whimpering as warm metacarpals took his tear-stained cheekbones and guided him to look up at the deputy. "Now Repeat Those Self-Depreciating Things And Look Me In The Eye Sockets, Brother."

 

His tongue wouldn't cooperate with him now, no matter how hard he tried.

 

"Exactly What I Thought. You Are Amazing, Sans." Papyrus murmurs lowly, then he lets his expression turn slightly playful as he nuzzles the smaller relentlessly. "You're The  **Sans** ational Sans, Remember?"

 

"papy, no!"

 

"No? How About The **Sans** tastic Sans, Then?" 

 

"papyyyy!"

 

"Fine! All Jokes Aside, My Baby Brother Is Simply **Sans** tonishing!"

 

"oh my stars, papyrus! stop!"

 

"Nyeh Heh Heh! Should I Start Calling You Blueberry Now, Brother?"

 

"paaaaaaapyruuuuus!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my inactivity, heh. I got REALLY sidetracked, and plus I was a little under the weather.


	9. Hilarity ensues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fourth wall is broken, the pun battles have begun, and the fluff is rearing its head back! Oh, the horror!
> 
> *short chapter. Mostly just useless fluff. If you want, you can just disregard it happening and move on. Easily skippable. It's going to be a bit choppy, too.

Papyrus hummed a quirky little tune to himself as he heated up some leftover spaghetti, even taking out some refreshments (or, uh, condiment in Sans's case) and setting them on the counter. He would never properly understand his brother's love for that silly condiment, but he allowed his brother to continue drinking ketchup. It wasn't necessarily healthy, but it made Sans happy, so he was content.

 

_**DING!** _

 

The noise shook him out of his thoughts before they began wandering, and he was quick to pop open the machine and take out the spaghetti, briefly wincing at the strong smell. It wasn't bad, per say. Just really, really strong. That might be because somehow, without noses to even smell anything with, skeletons were known to have heightened senses. If he asked his brother about this, he'd likely get a long rant of science-y nonsense that would fly right over his head. 

 

He smiled at the thought. He loved it when Sans ranted about science or the stars or whatnot. The smaller skeleton's eyelights just expanded and glowed brightly, and his toothy smile was lax and genuine as he belted out words with a clear enthusiasm that had him remembering their days as babybones. Sans had used to be so lively back then, too, if not a bit lazy when he wanted to be. After G--

 

Papyrus stopped that train of thought before it festered. No use pondering about the past when there's nothing anyone can do to fix it.  He resumed his humming while he forked some spaghetti onto some plates he had set out. Jeez, this song was addictive. Maybe he's just saying that because it's his own theme song.

 

"̷̝̈Í̵ͅt̸͆ͅ ̸͙͗c̸̭͊e̷̖̚r̷͒ͅť̸̹ã̸̹ǐ̵̘n̵̟̉l̵͕̾y̷͔͊ ̷̗̓i̷̙̇s̴̆͜ ̵̟̊č̸̮a̶̱̍t̷͍͛c̶̮͋h̵̭̕y̵̻͂.̸ͅ"̷͚͘

 

The deputy startled and looked around for the source of the glitchy voice, but his search accomplished nothing. Nobody else was in here but himself, and it was very unlikely that inanimate objects would just come to life and talk to him. He'd mark himself crazy if that happened.

 

Strange. The voice sounded very familiar for some reason.

 

"oh the hu **sans** ity!"

"You're not a real **comic** , **Sans**!"

"aw c'mon, throw me **bone** , that was **fin** tastic!"

"Don't be a **gill** about it, buddy!"

"i'm a **bone** afied pun master, you can't **goat** me at my own game."

"But I am! You puns are just **sans** humor!"

"hah! are you **fur** real? my puns are **sans** ational!"

"Fine, fine. I'll stop **noggin** you down!"

 

Papyrus peeked into the living room as laughter wafted out, his nasal bone scrunching up in feigned distaste when he heard the torrent of puns.

 

Sans and Samara were facing off in the middle of the living room, and they both adorned competitive smirks. Undyne and Toriel were sitting on the couch on the sidelines, and the two monsters were very much lost beyond the point of return in their laughing fit. No, seriously, he was sure he was hearing a lot of wheezing and snorting from them.

 

"oh, hey bro. **tibia-** nest, i was **pun** derin' if you actually heard us. not that i doubt you or anythin'." Sans joked when he noticed his brother standing there, and the taller skeleton was relieved to see his brother's relaxed posture and th- wait... WAIT... WAS THAT A FUCKING PUN?!

 

"Sans, No!"

"sans, yes!"

 

He stomps his foot in mock-agitation and quickly retreated into the kitchen so none of them would see his amused smile, although he was almost certain they knew. All that mattered is that his brother was finally happy again. He was smiling for real again. 

 

The tall skeleton listens to the two talk and joke and pun at their soul's content, and the smile on his faceplate grew when he heard them both laugh. 

 

**~~~**

 

"*snrk* oh stars! *snrk* that was actually _awful_!" Sans is a snorting, wheezing mess of laughter while he tried to stay upright with his back resting heavily on the wall. His new buddy, Samara, was standing in front of him with a smug little grin as she watched his suffering.

 

She rocks on her heels, giggling. "I know, but aren't the worst puns the **pun** niest?" she got a loud snort and a couple of chortles with the accompaniment groan in response.

 

It was around evening if the dimming of magic outside told them anything, and they had just finished eating some reheated spaghetti for dinner. (and Papyrus was a glowing orange under all the praise he got for the food. Seriously, he knew it wasn't _that_ good!)  

 

Now everyone was kind of just relaxing in the living room and chatting it up, but at some point they had all watched as Samara totally destroyed Sans in a pun battle. Hence why the brunette looked very smug. 

 

"n- no! *snrk* i give! i- i give! jus' stop! pleaaase!"

 

Samara's slammed her hands on the wall on either side of his head and level her face with his, ignoring the startled gasps her action earned. She had a flirty smirk perched on her lips and her mismatched eyes were half-lidded as she stared the skeleton in the eye sockets.

 

***FLIRT**

 

"What if I don't wanna stop making you laugh, littlebones? The way your cute little face lightens up is delicious~" she croons sweetly, and her boldness earns a few surprised coughs. 

 

A bright blue flush overtakes his whole faceplate, and he slipped down the wall a little with a flustered squeak. "i- i, uh, i... you... wh- what?!"

 

His adorable reaction only spurs her on.

 

***FLIRT**

 

"Aw, are you blushing?! And just when I thought you couldn't get cuter~" she giggles as the luminescent blue darkens further at her words. She might be acting a bit bold, but she knows he needs a hell'a more self-confidence than he did right now. And she's not lying, either, he cannot get any cuter right now.

 

_I probably shouldn't jinx it, the author might decide to make this adorableness double._

(hey! Don't break the fourth wall, dammit!)

_I just did. What are you gonna do about it?_

(...)

_That's what I thought-_

(shut up! I'll make him retaliate if you keep this up)

_Ah... noping the frick out now._

(knew you'd see it my way~)

 

"n- no 'm not! 'm not blushin'! y- yer a fuckin' liar!" Sans squawks and ducks under her arm to escape. Oh hell no, she isn't about to let him get away without doing at least one more thing! 

 

Samara quickly wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him into her side before he could get very far, stifling a laugh when he yelps and flails a bit. Yeah, he was definitely someone she would enjoy flirting with! But she could tell he could only take so much, so she decided to take it easy on him before she went all out the next time. Just one last thing.

 

***FLIRT**

 

She lowered her face to his glowing skull and pressed her lips to the spot just between his eye sockets, not quite surprised when she felt how hot his faceplate felt. Now that she was actually touching him, she swears he's not as hard as a skeleton should be. He's all bones, shouldn't those bones be hard- oh gross, that sounds weird. Stop that train of thought right this instant!

 

" **n̶g̸k̸**!̸!̸" 

 

The girl then stands upright and winks down at the beyond flustered skeleton, wandering off while struggling to withhold her mirth. She was already closing the bathroom when the others finally spoke up.

 

"Fuhuhuhuhuhu! I LIKE this ballsy little fucker!" 

"...Brother, I Might Just Have To Reconsider Your Name."

"Oh my goodness, *snrk* oh no! I'm so sorry, Sans, dear!"

 

Samara smirks and begins brushing her teeth with the toothbrush that was offered to her, beaming at the cracked mirror that distorted and reflected herself.

 

Mission accomplished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is literally trash. So horribly written, but I needed to update somethin' as to not leave you guys hangin'. I'm so sorry for disgracin' you with this trash.


	10. A̸̗̿ ̶̨̋r̶̘͒ ̷̝͒Ë̷̖́ ̸̬́ ̷͖̐ ̸̻͠y̶̲̚ ̷̓͜Ô̷͎ ̶̳̈u̴̼͂ ̷̝͊ ̸̛̙ ̶̝̎H̷̤͝ ̷̩̈Ą̶̅ ̷̯̍p̷͎̾ ̴̩͝P̷͍͘ ̴͓͐ȳ̸̝ ̵̣̈́ ̷̞͘ ̷̭͌N̸̠͗ ̶̻̋ö̴͎́ ̸̱͒W̴̗̕ ̷̜̎?̶̣̑

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "i need to stop being so selfish... i'm the only problem now. i'm stopping my friends from being happy. i need to get out of the picture."
> 
> "...permanently."

_Sans's shrunken eyelights darted around the snowy forest that flanked him on all sides, confusion and fear written into his faceplate. He had never strayed away from the path that connects the ruins to Snowdin, it was just too dangerous. The deepest part of the woods, just as he was told by many'a monsters, were dark, unfriendly, and chilling, even more so than usual. He didn't like this. It was, for lack of better terms, scary._

 

_He shivered and zipped up his blue jacket to conserve some warmth in his annoyingly frail bones. It helped some, but he knew it wouldn't last too long. The jacket was only so thick. If he was out here for much longer, he would probably get sick. And Papyrus already had enough to deal with! Why is he so stupid? Why is he even here? How... How DID he get here? He doesn't remember anything, now that he thinks about it._

 

_While shoving his shaking metacarpals into his pockets to hide them from the nippy air and try to get some warmth into them again, he continued walking, looking around for any exit to this unpleasant place. He might have been taking a completely random direction, but what more could he do?_

 

_After a while, though, Sans sighs and pauses for a moment to simply look around again. This was ridiculous, he was literally getting nowhere with this. His eyelights fell on a figure stomping toward him, and they instantly brightened up, because it was his brother! Thank the stars! He hopes Papyrus hadn't been looking for him for too long..._

 

_Relieved beyond words, the small comedian ran toward Papyrus, but the sharp stare he was suddenly fixed with stopped him in his tracks pretty quickly. Did- did he make Papy angry with him...? He didn't understand what he could have done, though. Was his brother angry because he was worried? What did he do? How can he fix it? Sans doesn't like his big brother being mad at him..._

 

_Papyrus crossed his arms and glared down at the smaller with a dark scowl, which shocked Sans enough to cringe away with an uneasy mewl. "b-bro?"_

 

_"You Knew About The Resets, Didn't You, 'Brother'?"  his brother's voice, usually lathered in affection, was now drowned in an overwhelming sense of disgust and hurt._

 

_"i- i... yes..."  he all but forced the words out, wincing in shame at the way he stuttered. He shouldn't be acting this way around his own brother. He shouldn't be scared of his own brother, but he is. One glare from the royal guard's deputy and he's reduced to a ball of anxiety, and yet he managed to fight a true demon for so long? Hah... Fearing the one you're trying to protect, how is that for irony?_

 

_"You Never Tried To Save Me" Papyrus stated coldly. Sans felt his bone marrow freeze over, and it had nothing to do with the unkind weather. Not anymore. "You Might As Well Have Killed Me Yourself."_

 

_Sans whimpered at the accusations, but he knew it was more than true. He let them kill his brother. He let them swing attack after attack at his brother. He let them crush his brother's skull into dust._

 

_He was just as much a dirty brother killer as _____ was. How sick, he actually blamed THEM for his his own mistakes..._

 

_It was all his fault. If only he had tried harder, if only he hadn't been so fucking weak. He was useless, a waste of space, a stupid smiley trashbag._

 

 _"You Gave Up Trying To Save Everyone, So You Just Watched Them All Dust As Well, Didn't You?" Papyrus spits out angrily, his eye socket emitting a bright, red-orange glow as his magic reacted with his emotions._ _Sans tried to say something, an apology, a plead, anything._

 

_But nothing came out._

 

_"That's What I Thought." his brother scoffed and turned his back on Sans with a fluidity that only he could have. "You've Always Been Such An Abandoned Piece Of Trash, 'Baby Brother'."_

 

_The smaller was left to watch helplessly as his older brother walked away from him like he couldn't wait to be out of his presence. And he couldn't follow Papyrus, no matter how hard he tried. He felt like something was weighing him down, like heavy steel or chains, or SOMETHING._

 

 _He deserved this, didn't he? He deserved this fate._ _He should really stop burdening everyone with his worthless life, they probably hated him about much as he hated that demon._

 

_Yet Sans couldn't muster the strength to do anything but fall back into the cold snow and hug his bony knees to his chest. He couldn't fight the tears that welled up in his void-like eye sockets and began to dribble down his off-white cheekbones, staining the bone a faint blue color._

 

_All he could do was cry._

 

_Heh... He should just off himself as soon as he gains control over his limbs. How petty, he couldn't even control himself any more. That demon was right, weren't they? He's just a toy, a plaything, a pet. He's just a puppet to that demon._

 

_Loud voices began screaming at him, their words seeming to echo desolately in the dark woods._

 

_"Stupid smiley trashbag!"_

_"You're as worthless as they come."_

_"D- did you even TRY to save us?"_

_"You failed us, you PUNK!"_

_"Do you really hate us that much?"_

_"...Can I even call you a friend anymore?"_

_"You Might As Well Have Killed Us Yourself."_

_"How pathetic can you get, darling?"_

_"You have sinned worse than me."_

_"̶̻̉Ȳ̴͕ô̴͕u̵͓͑ ̴̥h̷̭̊à̸̗v̶̗̏é̴̹ ̵͈̃f̵̨̌o̸͖͋r̴̪͂ǧ̴̢o̶̱̐ţ̷̐t̶̮̎e̸̻͛n̷̝̽ ̶̲͠m̸̢̓e̵̞͒.̶̓͜.̷̺̿.̶͈̕"̶͖̏_

 

_Sans chuckled quietly to himself, but it slowly ascended until he was hysterically laughing, tears pouring steadily down his cheekbones as the icy wind nipped at his damp faceplate. It was so fucking funny! IT WAS SO FUCKING FUNNY! He claimed to care about them all, but all he's done is cause them harm! He let them rot, he let them fade, he let them dust. He was nothing but a starsdamned failure!_

 

_It's so fucking funny that he could have ever thought his life was worth even a little._

 

_He deserves to suffer._

_He needs to hurt._

_He shouldn't be selfish._

 

* * *

 

Sans jerked awake with a gasp, and bit on his phalanges to restrain the resulting whine from his nightmare. Or was it a night terror? He couldn't be sure anymore, but what did it matter? Whoever was sending him this night terror or whatever it was, they're obviously telling him something.

 

He needs to stop being selfish.

 

The small comedian, with some difficulty, managed to squirm his way out of his brother's arms and stumble out of Papyrus's room like a lost newborn puppy. 

 

That's when he finally acknowledged the dampness on cheekbones, and he blinked back the tears that tried to blur his vision. Not now, not now! He can't afford to waste time right now! Anyone could wake up and see him and stop him before he fixes his latest mistake!

 

Rubbing furiously at his watery eye sockets, Sans quietly glided down the stairs, avoiding the one that made that really loud creaking sound. He headed into the kitchen as if he were on autopilot. The same voices from his night terror back with a vengeance, echoing pieces of what they screamed before.

 

 

_helpless._

_pathetic._

_worthless._

_vain._

_traitor._

_killer._

_filth._

 

Everyone would be so much happier without him constantly acting as a huge burden to them all. How could he have ever thought otherwise? It was silly to think he could've had a happy ending. He doesn't deserve any happiness. He doesn't deserve anything but suffering. He's just a toy, a plaything, a pet... Isn't he just a puppet?

 

_stupid._

_lazy._

_apathetic._

_rude._

_gross._

 

The voices fell silent when he plucked a large knife from one of the lower drawers. Sans's bones rattled in terror as flashes of blood and dust and pain and gold and grief and knifes. Lots... and... lots... of knifes...

 

Fear.

Agony.

Death.

 

That's what these things cause, right?

 

Sans looked down at his figure for a moment. He was... small in a lot of ways, and he always had been. If he wasn't going to end his pitiful existence, he probably would be small for the rest of it anyway. Taking away his puffy jacket made it easy to see how frail and weak he really is. One attack and he's dead. He's just a one HP runt. He didn't know what made his HP so low in the first place, but it was probably his fault.

 

Right now, instead of his usual get up, he was wearing some of his brother's clothes since his own were beyond dirty. They hadn't been cleaned for days. Maybe even weeks. This temporary outfit consisted of a white shirt with the words "COOL DUDE" written in permanent marker, and it fell just a little below his patellas. What the shirt failed to cover, a pair of blue shorts with a yellow trim did, and it fell awkwardly to his lower tibia. (and nobody cooed over him, of course. That's just ridiculous!)

 

Yes, he decided with a self-loathing grimace, they would be better off without his pitiful existence. He was just a waste of space in this timeline.

 

The comedian raised the knife with shaky phalanges. 

 

...Why did he suddenly feel so dizzy and lightheaded? Maybe it was just nerves or something. Not that he really has any, though. 

 

 

The small skeleton smiled bitterly as he recalled the times his friends had been there for him, when they had helped him, when they had comforted him. He didn't deserve their sympathy. He didn't deserve their compassion. He didn't deserve their love. They needed top STOP CARING ABOUT HIM!

 

Sans plunged the knife toward his sternum without giving himself anymore time to think about it.

 

Armor; melted.

 

Lab coat; suicide.

 

Metal; beaten.

 

Crown; dusted.

 

Gown; dusted.

 

Scarf; dusted.

 

Picture; erased.

 

"Sans! NO!"

 

Sans wheezed and dropped the newly-bloodied knife, the same blank grimace covering his faceplate as he looked at the marrow gathering in a puddle below him. Finally.... Finally. _Finally_!

 

The comedian turned to his brother and grinned up at his brother, though it felt a little too sharp around the corners to be particularly sane-looking. "yer all free from me now."

 

"Sans--"

 

"i love you, bro."

 

And then his body faded to dust, leaving his brother to cry out his name and try futilely reach out to him, but ht was much too late. There was nothing he could do. The damage was dealt. It was done. 

 

"...I Love You Too, Brother..."

 

Jacket; suicide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending one: The Suicide Ending. =)


	11. Never lose hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A depressed human and a depressed skeleton cuddle away their sorrows.

_Sans's shrunken eyelights darted around the snowy forest that flanked him on all sides, confusion and fear written into his faceplate. He had never strayed away from the path that connects the ruins to Snowdin, it was just too dangerous. The deepest part of the woods, just as he was told by many'a monsters, were dark, unfriendly, and chilling, even more so than usual. He didn't like this. It was, for lack of better terms, scary._

 

_He shivered and zipped up his blue jacket to conserve some warmth in his annoyingly frail bones. It helped some, but he knew it wouldn't last too long. The jacket was only so thick. If he was out here for much longer, he would probably get sick. And Papyrus already had enough to deal with! Why is he so stupid? Why is he even here? How... How DID he get here? He doesn't remember anything, now that he thinks about it._

 

_While shoving his shaking metacarpals into his pockets to hide them from the nippy air and try to get some warmth into them again, he continued walking, looking around for any exit to this unpleasant place. He might have been taking a completely random direction, but what more could he do?_

 

_After a while, though, Sans sighs and pauses for a moment to simply look around again. This was ridiculous, he was literally getting nowhere with this. His eyelights fell on a figure stomping toward him, and they instantly brightened up, because it was his brother! Thank the stars! He hopes Papyrus hadn't been looking for him for too long..._

 

_Relieved beyond words, the small comedian ran toward Papyrus, but the sharp stare he was suddenly fixed with stopped him in his tracks pretty quickly. Did- did he make Papy angry with him...? He didn't understand what he could have done, though. Was his brother angry because he was worried? What did he do? How can he fix it? Sans doesn't like his big brother being mad at him..._

 

_Papyrus crossed his arms and glared down at the smaller with a dark scowl, which shocked Sans enough to cringe away with an uneasy mewl. "b-bro?"_

 

_"You Knew About The Resets, Didn't You, 'Brother'?"  his brother's voice, usually lathered in affection, was now drowned in an overwhelming sense of disgust and hurt._

 

_"i- i... yes..."  he all but forced the words out, wincing in shame at the way he stuttered. He shouldn't be acting this way around his own brother. He shouldn't be scared of his own brother, but he is. One glare from the royal guard's deputy and he's reduced to a ball of anxiety, and yet he managed to fight a true demon for so long? Hah... Fearing the one you're trying to protect, how is that for irony?_

 

_"You Never Tried To Save Me" Papyrus stated coldly. Sans felt his bone marrow freeze over, and it had nothing to do with the unkind weather. Not anymore. "You Might As Well Have Killed Me Yourself."_

 

_Sans whimpered at the accusations, but he knew it was more than true. He let them kill his brother. He let them swing attack after attack at his brother. He let them crush his brother's skull into dust._

 

_He was just as much a dirty brother killer as _____ was. How sick, he actually blamed THEM for his his own mistakes..._

 

_It was all his fault. If only he had tried harder, if only he hadn't been so fucking weak. He was useless, a waste of space, a stupid smiley trashbag._

 

 _"You Gave Up Trying To Save Everyone, So You Just Watched Them All Dust As Well, Didn't You?" Papyrus spits out angrily, his eye socket emitting a bright, red-orange glow as his magic reacted with his emotions._ _Sans tried to say something, an apology, a plead, anything._

 

_But nothing came out._

 

_"That's What I Thought." his brother scoffed and turned his back on Sans with a fluidity that only he could have. "You've Always Been Such An Abandoned Piece Of Trash, 'Baby Brother'."_

 

_The smaller was left to watch helplessly as his older brother walked away from him like he couldn't wait to be out of his presence. And he couldn't follow Papyrus, no matter how hard he tried. He felt like something was weighing him down, like heavy steel or chains, or SOMETHING._

 

 _He deserved this, didn't he? He deserved this fate._ _He should really stop burdening everyone with his worthless life, they probably hated him about much as he hated that demon._

 

_Yet Sans couldn't muster the strength to do anything but fall back into the cold snow and hug his bony knees to his chest. He couldn't fight the tears that welled up in his void-like eye sockets and began to dribble down his off-white cheekbones, staining the bone a faint blue color._

 

_All he could do was cry._

 

_Heh... He should just off himself as soon as he gains control over his limbs. How petty, he couldn't even control himself any more. That demon was right, weren't they? He's just a toy, a plaything, a pet. He's just a puppet to that demon._

 

_Loud voices began screaming at him, their words seeming to echo desolately in the dark woods._

 

_"Stupid smiley trashbag!"_

_"You're as worthless as they come."_

_"D- did you even TRY to save us?"_

_"You failed us, you PUNK!"_

_"Do you really hate us that much?"_

_"...Can I even call you a friend anymore?"_

_"You Might As Well Have Killed Us Yourself."_

_"How pathetic can you get, darling?"_

_"You have sinned worse than me."_

_"̶̻̉Ȳ̴͕ô̴͕u̵͓͑ ̴̥h̷̭̊à̸̗v̶̗̏é̴̹ ̵͈̃f̵̨̌o̸͖͋r̴̪͂ǧ̴̢o̶̱̐ţ̷̐t̶̮̎e̸̻͛n̷̝̽ ̶̲͠m̸̢̓e̵̞͒.̶̓͜.̷̺̿.̶͈̕"̶͖̏_

 

_Sans chuckled quietly to himself, but it slowly ascended until he was hysterically laughing, tears pouring steadily down his cheekbones as the icy wind nipped at his damp faceplate. It was so fucking funny! IT WAS SO FUCKING FUNNY! He claimed to care about them all, but all he's done is cause them harm! He let them rot, he let them fade, he let them dust. He was nothing but a starsdamned failure!_

 

_It's so fucking funny that he could have ever thought his life was worth even a little._

 

_He deserves to suffer._

_He needs to hurt._

_He shouldn't be selfish._

 

* * *

 

Sans jolted up in the familiar race-car bed with an anguished wail that startled the other monster into wakefulness, though he failed to notice this. The small skeleton began to desperately claw at his skull, his breathing much too fast and his wails nowhere near ceased. 

 

 _it was all my fault._ _Everyone's dead because of me._ _Nobody made it out alive._ _Not even myself._

 

_**SLASH!** _

Dust.

**_SLASH!_ **

Dust.

**_SLASH!_ **

Dust.

**_SLASH!_ **

Dust.

**_SLASH!_ **

Dust.

_**SLASH!** _

Dust.

_**SLASH!** _

Dust.

 

 _everyone's dead!  e_ _veryone's gone! n_ _obody survived! i'm_ _all alone!_

 

Mettaton...

(A metal body is laying motionless and isolated, left to rot.)

 

Asgore...

(A crown is placed on a tall throne sprinkled with dust.)

 

Monster Kid...

(A yellow striped shirt sits near a small pile of dust.)

 

Alphys...

(A dusty lab coat is stranded near a lake of lava.)

 

Toriel...

(A royal purple gown is abandoned just inside the ruins.)

 

Undyne...

(A lone black eye patch rests in some goopy dust.)

 

Papyrus...

(A scarf was buried under a pile of scattered dust.)

 

Unbeknownst to him, his wails increase in volume when he feels his eye socket burning. It burned, it burned, _it burned_! WHY IS HIS EYE SOCKET BURNING?! It hurt, it hurt, it hurt! 

 

 _eVerYoNE's dEaD!_ _eVErYOnE's gOnE!_ _nObODY suRvIveD! i'M_ _aLl aLoNE!_

 

 

Dust everywhere, breathing in dust, dust clinging to his bones, choking on dust, forced to eat dust, dust everywhere. Pain, pain, lonely, sad, scared, so scared, so lonely, hurt, pain, lonely, sad, scared. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!

 

"SANS!"

 

 

Sans gasps and tries to jerk away from the voice, but a pair of muscular, scaly arms are wrapped around him tightly, and he's confused. So confused. Lonely. So lonely. Scared. So scared.

 

"Sans, look at me!"

 

He followed the direct order and looked up at whoever was speaking with watery eye sockets and a blurred vision, but he recognized the person's red hair and blue scales immediately. "'d- dyne?" that's impossible though. She's dead. She's melted. She's a pile of melted goop and dust... isn't she?

 

"Sans," Undyne captured the tear-streaked faceplate in her clawed hands and began to wipe away the tears. "It's okay, smalls. Just repeat after me: _____ is gone, the demon is dead."

 

He doesn't get it, but he parrots his supposedly dead friend anyway. "_-____ is g- gone, the demon is d- dead?"

 

The guppy nodded, her single eye glinting with an emotion he couldn't find it in himself right now to uncover. "Again, but with more conviction. And BREATHE, dammit!" he was so confused...

 

"_-____ is gone, the demon is dead."

 

_in._

_out._

 

"Again, smalls!"

 

"_____ is gone, the demon is dead."

 

_in._

_out._

 

"Louder, smalls!"

 

"_____ is gone, the demon is dead!"

 

_in._

_out._

 

Sans found breathing was so much easier to do now that he was thinking rationally. _____ is long gone, _____ is not returning, _____ is long dead.

 

_everyone's alive. nobody's dead. it's all okay._

 

...Right?

 

The small skeleton relaxed into his friend's arms and wrapped his bony arms around her in return, nuzzling the only spot on her that he could currently reach. It was a bit awkward to nuzzle her stomach, but Undyne was probably used to it by now. He felt her stomach vibrate as she chuckled, and he relaxed further when sharp yet gentle, soft yet scaly fingers began to stroke his skull. It wasn't as uncomfortable as one might think.

 

 

Undyne stood up abruptly and adjusted her grip on the comedian, laughing boisterously when he yelps in startlement. Now having to cling to her like a koala to avoid being jostled, he huffs and looks around the room for the first time since he's woken up. And then he immediately began struggling to get out of Undyne's grip. 

 

Why?

 

Papyrus was trapped in a cage of blue bones that Sans had undoubtedly caused during his little mental break-down just a few minutes ago. 

 

His eyelights guttered out when Papyrus leaned forward and swept his arm through the blue bones to dispel them, taking the damage they implemented without so much as a twitch. With a guilty frown when he noticed his brother's expression, Papyrus strides over.

 

"Sans--"

"jus' shuddup and carry me." 

"Nyeh... Of Course, Brother."

 

Sans gently smacks his brother upside the skull as soon as he was handed off to the taller skeleton, and his action received a startled yelp. "Hey! What Was That For?!"

 

"ya gotta... lot'a...er...um..." Sans trails off, the scolding nature of his words are lost as he melts into his brother when Papyrus's long phalanges begin to massage his coronal suture.

 

"Stars on fire!" Undyne cackles as she watches the smaller lose his train of thought all too easily. "You play DIRTY, Paps! Fuhuhuhu!"

 

"Whoever Taught Me That, I Wonder?" Papyrus joins in her boisterous laughter with his own 'nyeh heh hehs' when she jokingly flipped him off for that remark. Just in case Sans tried to start scolding him again, Papyrus kept petting and gently scratching at his brother's coronal suture as they wandered out of the room.

 

And when they saw the concerned goat-mom and the anxious human waiting outside of Papyrus's room, they realized they had a lot to explain.

 

**~~~**

 

After they went downstairs, an explanation was given and the several minutes that followed Papyrus telling his brother repeatedly that a few HP being shaved off would not be the end of him, the elder skeleton finally managed to get Sans to talk about the nightmare that caused all of this.

 

 

Least to say, he was smothered in hugs from everyone present. Toriel, Papyrus, and Undyne told them they needed to talk for a bit and headed upstairs, but not without Papyrus nuzzling his brother's skull affectionately and handing him a bottle of ketchup, much to the younger skeleton's starry-eyed delight.

 

This left the depressed skeleton under Samara's care; it was her job to make sure he didn't hurt himself.

 

Samara was afraid to approach him, as the events of his night terror were most likely still haunting him like an angry ghost. She knew this from experience, she knew what it was like to wake up screaming. That's just one reason why she avoided sleeping at all costs, even if she had to lie and close people out in order to do it.

 

She sighs, and looks over at the monster huddled on the couch, every part of him except his hands and his head hidden under the fluffy blanket swallowing him up. The brunette was surprised when she realized that Sans had been staring at her, but before she could assure him of anything, he flinched and looked away, pulling the blanket tighter around his small body.

 

This was when she thought about how small he really was. He was adorably short, and his bones looked thin and frail, but she knew better than to assume he was weak. He's obviously really powerful, she can tell by how he panicked when his brother just walked out of the cage made with blue bones.

 

From the brief glimpse she got before he was swallowed up by the blanket, she noticed he was a white shirt with the written words "cool dude" that was probably a few sizes too big on him, hanging off his bones and reaching a little below his patellas. What the shirt didn't cover, a pair of blue shorts with gold trim did, and it went down to his lower tibia, maybe even a bit further. _Ah, flufflenuts, he's so cute!_

 

"Hey," she says, successfully drawing his eye lights back to her. "Can I come closer?" he averted the tiny white pinpricks again, nodding after a moment's hesitance. Samara smiles and shuffles over, sitting on the couch beside him. Now that she's close enough, she can clearly see the blue stains on his cheekbones, and her resolve to keep her distance shattered like glass.

 

"Hug." she half-demanded, half-pleaded.

 

Sans stared at her like she lost her mind, and she wasn't about to deny that. She'd lost her mind quite a while ago, so this wasn't news to her. "er, suuuure?" she stifled a giggle when his voice raised a bit in pitch. _Too precious, I wanna cuddle him and never let him go!_

 

Samara beams and opens her arms to him, making grabby hands when he gave her another weird look. With an eye-roll directed at her childish behavior, the small skeleton scooted over, but then he hesitated. Pouting at him, Samara leans over and gently drags him into her lap, cackling when he yelps and blushes. 

 

"f- fuck ya."

"Is that a request?"

"w- what?! no!"

"But you--"

"no! s- stop!"

"Heh, you're so cute."

"shuddup, no 'm not!"

"Are too, runt~"

"oh no."

"Oh yes!"

"ya sound that fucking calculator."

"Language, Sansypants!"

"where the fu- _fluff_ are ya gettin' these stupid nicknames from?"

"That's for me to know and you to wonder about, baby blues~"

 

Despite his face burning like a (very blue) furnace because of her inappropriate joke and the cutesy nicknames, Sans was relaxed against the brunette. He turned around to look at her. "do ya wanna take the blanket and wrap it around the both of us? i feel kinda bad leaving ya out."

 

Her smile grew, overjoyed at even his small amount of trust. "Sure, I can do that!" she says happily, taking the blanket from around him and then wrapping it around the both of them comfortably, letting him hold the edges together since it would be easier. She also just wanted to hug this little bundle of bones as close as she could.

 

Sans slumped down a little as he practically melted into her. Samara stifled another giggle. She probably was pretty warm, she was always a little warmer than the average human. Taking advantage of his slump, she rests her chin atop his skull, and damn if she didn't feel the vibrations and hear the soft rumbling sound. _Why is he so cute?!_

 

Samara had to admit, she felt so safe and warm and happy right now, like something had been ignited inside her. She liked this feeling a lot. She never wanted it to disappear. So she clung just a bit tighter to the small skeleton leaning back into her, and sighed blissfully as the world began to fade away.

 

"...Sans?"

"hmm?"

"Never lose hope."

"..."

"Sans?"

"...i- i'll try, sam."

 

Samara smiles and nods against his skull drowsily, her dopey smile growing when the third word registered in her mind. Sans had given her a nickname, perhaps without realizing it, but he had.

 

 

She finally let the world fade all around her to envelope the comforting darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very long chapter... Ahaha... Does it make up for my absence?


	12. Shattered trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trust is like glass; it could be strong or it could be weak. The thicker the glass is, the more it will hurt if that glass is shattered. The thinner the glass is, the less it will hurt.

Papyrus stared at the door that separated him from his brother, struggling to push away his fear and keep himself rooted to the spot instead of rushing back and hunching around Sans like a feral animal. He didn't want a repeat of what happened a few days ago, he knew he had scared his brother by doing that. And besides that, he had gotten uncomfortably close to turning, and he doesn't want Sans to see that. It just... Well, it wouldn't help right now.

 

....He misses how he used to have a megawatt smile and a sweet, innocent personality to go along with it. Oh yeah, those memories were going away anytime soon. He remembers having so much hope in everything and anything, everyone and anyone. But then it all flopped. 

 

It was fucking hilarious; the one who he had once called a friend had destroyed his hopes and dreams with little to no remorse.

 

He could never hope to understand what Sans had gone through and his feelings on the matter. Sans had confessed, in a voice far more hopeless than he liked, that he had stopped counting after two hundred. That he had given up a long, long time ago. That he had resigned himself to that fate. That he had let them use him as a _puppet_. How long has Sans suffered alone? Weeks? Months? Perhaps even years, for all he knew.

 

Sans had also told them about a human child named Frisk. A child that, despite sharing the same soul and body as that dirty genocidal demon, he claimed to care about. And of course Papyrus cared about them, too. Hell, he even missed the times when Frisk and Sans would team up against him, spewing nonstop puns and committing both endearing and irritating acts of laziness together. He does care, he just doesn't remember some resets.

 

While he DOES remember most of it, it's almost impossible to reach out to them on his own. Trying to force a memory was like attempting to rub a foggy mirror clean; because no matter how hard he tried, the mirror would only distort further and further, the reflections in the mirror becoming unrecognizable and fuzzy - a dream that he desperately want to recall but no matter how hard he tries, it just fades away, lost in the depths of his mind until it came back to him several days or weeks or months later. 

 

Papyrus couldn't imagine how hard it might have been to know about and remember every single reset to the point of describing every little detail perfectly. He probably couldn't have convinced himself to get up and fight the human despite his soul screaming that he knew them, that they wouldn't do this, _that this wasn't them_ \--! 

 

It was laughable to think he could've ever helped Sans. All he had done was watch the small skeleton fester in a depression that could rival the king's and still hope that Sans would eventually talk to him. Nothing good had ever come from waiting for Sans to come to him; he had to be nudged gently and persistently, like a child trying to grab their parent's attention.

 

An odd simile, considering they were siblings, but it still held it's meaning.

 

Sans had never been very open to begin with, not even as a babybones and certainly not during the resets or even _now_. It had taken Undyne's threat and then some gentle coaxing to get his brother to tell them in-between heart-wrenching sobs and short little gasps that had quickly progressed into a full-blown panic attack. (which had almost made him start panicking himself.)

 

He remembered that timeline, and it brought an unwelcome chill to his marrow every time he thought about it. It repeated its events in his nightmares like a broken record that could never be "fixed" again.

 

And if he were being honest?

 

Papyrus wished that all of that had just been a twisted, horrifying nightmare..

 

Yet he knew it was dangerously foolish to wish such a thing. Just look where having hope had gotten him. 

 

This world was nothing more than a distorted and broken reality that the demon had caused by their own two hands.

 

* * *

 

_Papyrus was more anxious than a rabbit in distress, and that was really saying something considering how jumpy the rabbits living in Snowdin were._

_He was waiting for this eccentric human to finally show their face, but it's been a while; a couple hours at most. They're sure taking their time travelling through, aren't they? Don't they want to hurry back to the surface or something? Why would they prolong their stay Underground where they know they have a target on their back?_

_There was something he noticed though. This human was unlike the one he had met several years before, this human was really odd. Scary._

_They were expressionless aside from an unnervingly wide grin and eyes darkened with a strange haze, and they would never speak a word to anybody. The human was killing monsters left and right; the dust heavily sitting on their frame and coating their knife was proof of the murders._

_He wasn't blind to this human's wrongdoings, he wasn't that oblivious. Most monsters automatically assumed he was. They told him carefully woven lies to appease him, and he saw through all of their excuses. Yet who was he correct them when, in the end, it doesn't really change anything? If anything, they needed him to pretend to be oblivious. They needed him to be their source of joy._

_They all needed him, especially Undyne, Alphys, and Sans._

_Speaking of his brother- Sans had gotten sick before the human came around, and he had pleaded with Papyrus to stay home today, desperately trying to convince him that it was too cold out and that he might get sick too._

_Papyrus had been extremely reluctant to ignore his brother's pleas, trying not to break down when his younger brother gave him a terrified and hopeless look - like he knew something he didn't. He could've written it off as Sans doubting his ability to survive, but it seemed to delve much deeper than that. That hopelessness in Sans's eye lights made it seem like this has happened before, but how is that--_ _Ah, the human arrives!_

_And just like that, he halted his depressing train of thought, a toothy grin gracing his malleable face as put his hands on his hips in his signature pose. He would need to muster up all his confidence and try not to crack under their creepy smile and grim stare. He was supposed to be this huge hero, after all._

_"HALT, HUMAN!" he began, but he flinches when they disobey his order and take a few more steps toward him. "HEY! QUIT MOVING WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!"_

_Papyrus could practically taste their annoyance, and he couldn't help feeling a wave of fear. Would they even listen to him? No, he needs to stop this, he needs to remain BRAVE no matter what._

_For his brother's pun pal. For the captain. For the current royal scientist. For that flirty superstar. For that friendly ghost. For that fuzzy pushover. For his... past friends. For that lazy little skeleton._

_"I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY!" he narrows his eye lights when he saw their creepy smile widen, appearing amused for some reason. What do they find so amusing in this situation? He tried not to dwell on it when he found no answer. "FIRST: YOUR A FREAKING WEIRDO!"_

_And that smile flipped upside down really fast in what he thought looked like minor surprise, but he didn't let himself stop there. "NOT ONLY DO YOU NOT LIKE PUZZLES, BUT THE WAY YOU SHAMBLE FROM PLACE TO PLACE... THE WAY YOUR HANDS ARE ALWAYS COVERED IN DUST... MONSTER DUST..."_

_When his phalanges began to twitch anxiously, Papyrus decided to cross his arms to make it seem like he's under control. He can't let them see they have power over him. Fear is such a nasty thing. "HUMAN... YOUR LIFE IS GOING DOWN A VERY DANGEROUS PATH!" if they were trying to be subtle with their emotions, they were failing pretty badly._

_"HOWEVER! I, PAPYRUS, SEE GREAT POTENTIAL WITHIN YOU! YOU CAN BE GOOD IF YOU TRY, I PROMISE! OF COURSE, I HARDLY NEED TO TRY." he thumped his sternum with a gloved hand, forcing his toothy grin to spread as wide as he could manage._

_They scowled and shuffled forward impatiently, but they kept their dusty knife low._

_"NYEH!? QUIT MOVING! YOU SEE, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" the royal-guard-in-training shouted, stomping his foot like an angry child to hide how hard he was trembling. "HUMAN, I THINK YOU ARE IN NEED OF SOME GUIDANCE! WORRY NOT THOUGH, FOR I, PAPYRUS, WILL GLADLY BE YOUR FRIEND AND MENTOR!"_

_Papyrus was trying so damn hard to smother his emotions behind his oblivious, smiling mask. What was he doing?! If they do so choose to kill (which he doubts since who would deny the GREAT Papyrus?) that would leave his brother on his own. He knew Sans needed him more than he could ever understand_ _. For starters, Sans was still very young in monster and human terms, so he's very limited on most things._

 

_Right, back on track..._

_He noticed the dust-coated human stomp through the snow toward him. "I SEE YOU ARE APPROACHING. ARE YOU OFFERING A HUG OF ACCEPTANCE?" excitement filled his soul. Did he accomplish his goal?! Did he turn their life around for the better?!_

_"WOWIE! WELL I, PAPYRUS, ACCEPT YOU WITH OPEN ARMS!"_

_The enthusiastic skeleton crouched down and opened his arms to them, his grin much more genuine now. He did it. He was a hero now, wasn't he? He would definitely get in the royal guard now, wouldn't he? He could finally make Sans truly smi--_

_The human sneered and ran at him with their weapon outstretched, ready to impale him. When it was obvious that no, they weren't running at him with good intentions, he gasped and flinched back, but there was no need to._

_His soul just about stopped functioning when he reopened his eye sockets._

_Sans was standing in front of him with his arms splayed out protectively, his back facing the murderous human and his eye sockets empty voids. Slowly, Sans turned his head to stare back at the wretched creature with a grim smile of his own. The comedian's laugh was chilly and emotionless, a red substance sputtering from his clenched teeth and dribbling down his chin like rain on a window._

_"Not this time, demon." were his determined words before he stumbled forward into his big brother's warm embrace. Papyrus was hardly affected when he noticed their surroundings had changed; Sans had teleported them to Waterfall._

_The skeleton stood up with his small brother clinging onto him like a life source, his breaths shallow and halting._

_"Don't Dust, Sans! Please, Just Hold On!" Papyrus begged quietly, his breath hitching as the luminous tears began forming in his eye sockets. "Please Stay Alive!" and without further ado, the orange waterworks were released._

_Sans seemed like he wanted to reply but had decided against it. Instead, his arms tightened around Papyrus. "bro," the elder monster muted himself in order to hear the wheezing voice. "stay away from that human."_

_Papyrus knew he would be lying if he told his brother he would stay away, but what choice does he have? He needed his brother to teleport them back home so he can get his HP back up before he starts to dust, and Sans will probably refuse to do anything until he has this assurance._

_With great reluctance, he replied. "Okay."_

_Sans relaxed his grip then, and that scared the taller monster. "Sans! Please--"_

_"i love you, papy."_

_He was shocked at the implication and suddenness of the words. "S- Sans--" it was too late. With the barest exhale, his baby brother faded to dust before his very own eye sockets. All that remained of the other skeleton was his favorite blue jacket. The old thing was tainted with the blood and dust of it's owner, stained and worn from years of use._

_Papyrus just stared at the blue jacket in his gloved hands blankly, his mind struggling to reconnect to reality._

_No... This isn't real. This can't be real! Sans isn't dead! HE ISN'T DEAD!_

_His breathing grew unsteady as he forced himself to start walking. He needed to find Sans! Sans was all alone right now! Even though his conscious screamed for him to go back to Snowdin and search for Sans, his body was going in the opposite direction._

_The further he walked, the more obvious it became._

_The further he walked, the more anger he felt._

_The further he walked, the more his soul fractured._

_Papyrus stumbled as the self-loathing thoughts began flooding his mind, and he clutched the blue fabric just a little tighter. It was all he had left of his brother. The same brother he had, years ago, watched over when their father wasn't home. The same brother he had always comforted after nightmares. The same brother he adored tickling and teasing. Sans, who he had scolded for lazying around. Sans, whose annoying puns he had depreciated. Sans, who was all he had left._

 

_Emphasis on the WAS._

_He found himself staring into the concerned face of his best friend. Her mouth moved, but he couldn't hear anything over the startling silence. Yet somehow, she finally managed to break the grim silence his mind had succumbed him to. "Papyrus! What happened?!"_

_And those words were what prompted the skeleton fell to the squishy ground and hunch over himself, loud sobs wracking his thin frame as he held the precious old thing close to his sternum with an unrelenting grip._

_He had let them destroy everything._

_He had let them dust his friends._

_He had let them almost dust him._

_That... that THING had murdered Sans._

_That thing is not human nor monster._

_They are a demon._

_THEY ARE A DIRTY BROTHER KILLER._

_Undyne's worried shouting faded into background noise, everything faded into the background. A sense of... of... What- what was this feeling? He could feel a burn in his eye socket. Why is his eye socket burning?! Why is everything so silent?! Why is everything spinning?! WHY CAN'T HE--_

_...A bland white ceiling._

_Papyrus gasped and violently jerked up, eye socket blazing with orange magic as he dazedly looked around. His panic was soon being replaced with confusion._

_He was back in his room. Why was he back in his room? Papyrus didn't remember going back home at all. Maybe... Maybe it had all just been a bad dream? But that had been so VIVID, so... so..._

 

_Sans. His panic was renewed abruptly, like a splash of cold water on a sleeping person. Sans! He needed to check on Sans, he needed to confirm it was all a dream! HE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE! He couldn't live without his baby brother! Not without Sans! Never without Sans! He'd fall apart just like a building on a sinkhole. He didn't want to live without his little brother. Life would no longer have it's appeal without Sans and his puns and his weirdly endearing habits._

_He was desperately trying to untangle himself from the huge mass of blankets when--_

 

**_CRASH!_ **

 

_"NGAAAAAH!"_

_"wha--?!!?"_

_Papyrus finally managed to free himself from that fuzzy prison, and he was quick to stumble out of his bed and then out of his room, desperate to get to his brother to protect him from the threat, whatever or whoever it was._

_A wave of dizziness hit him, and his gloved hands just barely caught the railing. Papyrus steadied his bony against the wooden railings and peered down into the living room._

_It was Undyne, and for some reason, she seemed to think it was a good idea to point her spear at his brother's face. She wouldn't hurt him, though... right?_

 

_He felt the burning magic return to his eye socket, and now that he was in the right mindset, he could actually recognize the feeling. It was his stronger magic resurfacing after some years of disuse._

_"SPIT IT OUT, you little punk!" Undyne roars at the trembling heap of bones beneath her. "I KNOW you know something! You always have that damn LOOK on your face!"_

_What was she TALKING about? What "look" did his brother always have? Papyrus didn't understand. Then again, maybe this was one of the times he was not supposed to be listening. Another bout of dizziness hit the skeleton, and he tried with everything he had to focus, but it was getting increasingly harder._

_When the guppy didn't get any sort of answer to her almost desperate-sounding question, she growls and slams the glowing spear into the wall next to the smaller's skull, eliciting a terrified whimper from said-monster. The gills on either side of her head twitched, and her single yellow eye softened just slightly._

 

_"Sans," Undyne sighs and crouches down in front of him, apparently trying a gentler route with him since violence was definitely not doing anything. "Please just spit it out. You know about them, don't you?"_

_Both monsters were shocked when Sans just crumbled like a dying leaf and begin to hyperventilate. "'m sorry, 'm sorry! *sob* 'm so fuckin' worthless! 'm so sorry! i could'a do somethin', but i was a coward! i failed everyone! failed them all! 'm sorry, 'm sorry 'm sorry, 'm sorry!"_

_Something deep within Papyrus shattered at the thought that Sans blames himself for something that appears he had no control over. He forced himself to stand back up and, instead of taking the stairs, he jumps over the railing to get to the living room._

_Before either of them could even take a moment to register his very sudden appearance, the older skeleton had already shoved in between his best friend and his brother. Papyrus scooped up his younger brother and held him protectively to his sternum, nuzzling the top of the Sans's skull._

_The small skeleton thankfully recognized him and wrapped his arms around Papyrus, latching onto him like a scared child, burying his faceplate into the older skeleton's clavicle to muffle his sobs._

_It had been silly of him to think that Sans was okay. Ever since the accident that left them homeless, something in both of the skeleton brothers had changed. Papyrus had promised his brother that he would protect him at any costs, and although his promise wasn't told to the other's face, it was the only thing that motivated him._

_And he had failed at upholding that promise. Papyrus had failed his brother so badly. He failed to see how badly Sans had been suffering. He broke his promise. He didn't just break it, he SHATTERED it._

_Papyrus looked up and noticed his best friend leaning her forehead against the wall, her slumped shoulders shaking as she undoubtedly tried to hide her own tears. He gently clasped her arm and pulled her into a side hug. No, he decided as Undyne slumped against him as if he were her only hope, he would not let them suffer alone anymore._

_He would not be a pushover anymore._

 

_He would join the Royal Guard._

 

_He would protect them._

 

_Even if he had to die to do it._

 

_Papyrus was DETERMINED._

* * *

 

Trust is like glass; it could be strong or it could be weak. The thicker the glass is, the more it will hurt if that glass is shattered. The thinner the glass is, the less it will hurt.

 

He had once had this trusting aura; his glass was thick. He would trust someone almost right off the bat without even getting to know them at all. It could've easily been one of his biggest weaknesses, but it was just as easily one of his biggest strengths as well.

 

But no matter how thick or thin the glass is...

 

It can still be shattered just as fast.


	13. Running out of time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark, darker, yet darker...  
> Nobody came...  
> But it refused...
> 
> (...It was YOU.)

"no!"

"YES!"

"no!"

"YES!"

"never!"

"Who's The Older Brother Again?"

"i refuse!"

"You Can't Refuse!"

"i can _too_ refuse!"

"Oh My God, Sans! No You Can't!"

"i totally can! i have  _free will_!"

"Sans, Stop Being So Childish!"

"oh i'm being childish, am i? who's the one stompin', huh?!"

"You Are _Impossible--_!"

 

Undyne watched the brothers banter back and forth with a fond glint in her visible eye, chuckling along with the former queen, who sat by her side on the lumpy green couch. It had been a while since those dorks bantered so hard, and she wasn't going to lie; she had really missed their silly exchanges.

 

Truth be hold, she had no idea why Sans was "refusing" something and why Papyrus was trying to insist on this something. There were a majority of things it could be, because although the little comedian was usually too lazy to do anything but agree, there was some things that actually chipped away at his dignity and pride.

 

"SANS! You Need-"

"no!"

"Don't Make Me-"

"no!"

"SAAAANS! Stop Cutting Me-"

"no!"

"..."

 

Papyrus sighed, seeming to give up on speaking edgewise. Instead, he scooped up the younger skeleton and silently marched away, completely ignoring Sans's surprisingly loud whining and the squirming. "no! papy, _no_! i dun wanna! stoooop! _nooooooo_!" Sans's voice grew fainter when the bathroom door shut behind them.

 

Oh! Now she understands what just happened!

 

"Poor dear; his small stature makes it very easy for anyone to carry him around." Toriel commented with a chuckle as she stared at the door that the two skeletons had disappeared behind. She, too, seemed to have come to a conclusion as to what the hell just transpired. "Tell me- how often is he picked up by someone?" the former queen turned her bright ruby eyes onto Undyne, who bared her sharp canines in a sheepish smile.

 

"Too many times to count, boss lady." Undyne admitted. "It's usually anyone who's taller than him. Hell, even GRILLBY does it sometimes, and he's all about complete consent!"

 

Before the motherly goat could reply to that, there was the sound of water turning on. Then Sans shrieked, (yes, _sans_ made that noise,) and a slightly pained grunt.

 

Toriel's shoulders trembled violently with her effort not to burst into belly-laughter. She focused on the captain's words when she finally calmed down a little. "I do not believe I have heard of this monster. Whom is this 'Grillby'?"

 

"He's a friend of ours that owns a diner." Undyne waved a webbed hand almost dismissively. "Smalls will probably want to go there whenever that--" she vaguely gestured to the bathroom. "--is done."

 

"Sans! Stay Still, Darn It!"

"noooooooo!"

"Sans, I Swear On Asgore's Beard--"

 

There was another shriek, a loud splash and a completely done-with-this-shit groan that followed shortly after.

 

"Goodness! What is going on in there?" Toriel, although she asked this, seemed all but concerned. In fact, she was looking pretty damn enthused by this.

 

Undyne donned a toothy smirk as she gave a vague reply. "Let's just say Smalls REALLY hates baths."

 

"Ah, I see!"

 

Toriel looks down at the human girl, whom was curled up against her side and clinging onto her like a safety rail. It was nice to see the child smiling in her sleep for once instead of the opposite. It was such a nice look on her pretty face. She hums to herself curiously. "I wonder what you're dreaming about, my child?"

 

*******

 

_Samara floated in the void, her mismatched eyes searching the endless darkness for her friends. It wasn't exactly dark... It was more like a black room, yet there was no solidity, no walls, no ceiling or floor._

_There was just a darkness that felt both friendly and vicious._

_Her face lit up when she saw three figures approaching her, and she beamed and waved at her friends joyfully. One of them was a mass of black goop with a white face and hands, and the face had a scar trailing from each eye socket. The goopy figure's smile was lopsided and awkward, and they were disfigured in an endearing way. The other two were similarly dressed human children. One had twinkling brown eyes and a blue 'n pink striped sweater, and the child beside them had permanently flushed pink cheeks and a green 'n yellow sweater._

_"Heya Goopster! Hi Frisky! Hi Chara-bear!" they all have varying degrees of either amusement or exasperation upon being greeted by the optimistic girl._

_" ~~ **Hello, my dear**~~ **.** " the goopy one returned her greeting with a fond smile, but it faltered slightly when he saw the ever-famous "you-may-not-like-this-idea-but-i'm-super-determined" look on the girl's face._

_"Whatever you're thinking, stop." Chara growled at the brunette, their deep red eyes narrowing at her in suspicion. It seems Chara, too, had picked up on their fellow human's expression._

_Samara looked away and kicked at what could have been a floor in the never-ending darkness. "I'm not thinking anything!"_

_Frisk raised a brow and raised a hand to finger-spell a few letters. [L i a r.]_

_"Alright, alright! In all seriousness..." the five foot girl, considerably taller than the other two humans but way smaller than the goopy skeleton, clasped her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels. "I'm thinking about trying to house your souls again."_

_She got almost immediate responses._

_" ~~ **Absolutely not**~~!"_

_"Not THIS again!"_

_[I'm sorry, but we can't let you!]_

_She frowned at three void dwellers, frustration twisting her hopeful expression into a scowl. "But guys, I told you I'm strong enough now, you can't stay in the void forever! Hell, you even said it yourselves- you're starting to fade away in here!" she argued, and by the sound of it, this was a very old and touchy subject for all of them._

_[Samara.] Frisk started moving their hands, slowly at first, then they got faster as they continued. [We've been over this, Samara. There's three of us here. Housing all ALL THREE OF US--] the last few words were drawn out and signed almost angrily. [--might weaken your soul and suck up your own magic supply, and you know what happens when your magic supply is sucked dry!]_

_"But I can take it! I may be a little more tired than usual, but it's more important that you guys get out of the void before it fucking consumes you!"_

_" ~~ **Samara, language!**~~ "_

_"...Is that really what you're focusing on, Gaster?"_

_" ~~ **Right, sorry...**~~ "_

_Chara rolled forward on their booted heels, grasping the taller girl's shoulders with their cold hands. "Do you really think you can do this?" they asked solemnly, red eyes staring into her own mismatched ones intently, and she knew they were searching for any signs of hesitance._

_"No--" Samara pries the hands off and pulls the surprised child into her arms. "Because I know I can!"_

_[Stop stealing my soul trait, Samara!]_

_The brunette laughed and waved off the accusation, winking at Frisk while Chara squirmed in her arms and cursed up a storm. "I rock it better than you, Frisky~"_

_[Those be fighting words, mate!] Frisk signs, then they wiggle their eyebrows and smirk at her. [Oh, and Samara? You're totally telling us all about your cuddle session with Sans!] and then Chara and Gaster are suddenly staring very intently at the brunette, and her cheeks heated up._

_Welp, there goes her composure._

 

*******

 

"...H- hello?" a woman called out,  her voice quivering and anxious. It was... It was _Ember_? "Is- is anybody there? W- who are you? Is that you, sister?"

 

Twisted laughter was her only answer.

 

"Mara! Th- this isn't the time for o- one of your st- stupid pranks!"

 

This time there was no answer, and this greatly unnerved the auburn-haired female. "S- Samara?" she called out into the  surrounding darkness again, shivering despite the warmth cascading on her from the hole way above.

 

She waited for any sort of answer, but upon receiving none, she sighs and turns around to go through the odd doorway that she'd seen earlier.  A doorway to some sort of ruins, perhaps? Who used to live down here? Did that silly old rumor actually exist? Gosh, that'd be--

 

Ember froze, and then screamed when she came face-to-face with a widely smiling ghost.

 

"Hi new playmate!" 

 

It was _YOU_.

 

"Wanna play a game with me~?"


	14. A bloody mess and a trip to Grillby's!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mm~! Sho ghood!"  
> "'m glad your enjoyin' it, sam."  
> "How Can You Enjoy This Grease Hole?!"  
> "Paps, stop being a whiny little bitch!"  
> "Goodness, Undyne, mind your language!"

Sans was not a happy camper right now.

 

The small skeleton gathered what was left of his dignity and stormed out of the bathroom with a pastel orange towel wrapped around his torso and lower body like a strange sort of dress, blue magic gathered in his faceplate, making it unbearably hot. Oh, how he hated baths! 

 

"Sans!" Papyrus's exasperated voice followed his retreating figure. "Come Back Here- You Need To Put On These Clothes!"

 

He scowled at the order, but he didn't have much time to say object to it, as blue magic captured him and dragged him back inside the bathroom, slamming the door shut again.

 

"papy!" Sans whined when his soul was released from the blue magic. "i can dr--"

 

"You Literally Just Tried Walking Out In A Towel."

"what if i was jus' goin' to my room to get some clothes?"

"Sans, We Both Know You Were Just Going To Put On Some Dirty Clothes."

"no i wasn't!"

"Sans."

"...fine. maybe i was."

 

Papyrus sighs and pinches the bridge of his nasal bone, and though he was clearly irritated, Sans could see the upward twitch to his brother's mouth.  "That's What I Thought."

 

Sans puffed out his malleable cheeks and glared at the tiled floor to avoid his brother's stare. He knew he was overreacting a bit, but he had a hard time controlling his own emotions anymore. 

 

He heard another weary sigh. "I Know You Hate Water After The Incident, Sans, But You Can't Just Neglect Your Health To Avoid It."

 

Now he felt bad about being so childish about this. Sans exhales through his nasal cavity and turned to face his big brother. "i know, 'm sorry, bro." he shifted his almost nonexistent weigh from metatarsal to metatarsal sheepishly. 

 

"It's Alright, Sans." the elder skeleton offered a warm smile, and knelt down to Sans's height with some clothes in his metacarpals. "There Are Three Reasons I Won't Let You Dress Yourself Most Of The Time, Brother. One: You'll Go Bare Bones. Two: You'll Try To Put On Dirtied Clothes."

 

Sans loosened his grip on the towel and let Papyrus take it away, then he reluctantly raised his arms to allow for one of his favorite hoodies--it has an astronomy pun on the front--to be put on. But unfortunately, it decided to snag on his bones a little. "And Three: Clothes Will Snag On Your Bones And You'd Give Up Trying After One Tug."

 

"...well your not wrong." Sans admitted as he wiggled into some comfortable, baggy sweatpants after the hoodie was fully on. The sweatpants were a little big on him, as it completely hid his metatarsals from sight, but that wasn't all too bad, really. It just kept him even warmer! 

 

"I Know." Papyrus chuckled, tossing the towel over the rack and then putting the dirty clothes in a basket beside the door. "Now You Are Free To Go, Brother. Just Try Not To Slip."

 

"kay. ciao!" and he was quick to open the door and sprint out of the bathroom for the second time, this time being successful unlike the last attempt. "freedom!" he yowls happily, and he shoots a glare over his clavicle as his brother trails out after him with an amused chuckle. 

 

And then he froze when his eye-lights landed on Samara.

 

***

 

Samara shot up with a strangled scream and tumbled off the couch, roughly landing on her hands and knees, where she proceeded to dry heave, her ribs constricting painfully. Blood dribbled past her lips and splattered against the blue carpet, and she could only stare in horror at the liquid.

 

Something was very, very wrong.

 

"My child!"

"FUCK!"

"s-sam?!"

"Oh Stars Above!"

 

Oh, that's just peachy, now she made them worry! 

 

 _~~That's a good thing, my dear. I may not have a right to talk here, but your blood is supposed to stay inside you!~~_  A familiar voice yelped frantically from inside her head.

 

She internally rolled her eyes at his excessive momming. While Chara was sometimes far too overprotective, Gaster always (no doubt about it) came first place in being the "mom" of the group.

 

 ~~_I'm not THAT bad_ ~~ _!_

 _Keep telling yourself that, nerd_.

 ~~ _Hmph_~~...

_Aw come on, you big goopy bag of bones! Don't be mad at me!_

 

There was no response from the skeleton, so she assumed he had probably withdrawn a bit. She felt bad for driving the science-y dork away for a little while, but it had to be done so he wouldn't sense the magic building in her soul as strongly as he would've before.

 

"s-sam?" she looked up into the tear-filled eye sockets of her new friend, and guilt flooded her soul. For stat's sake, she had made him cry! "bl-blood is sup-supposed to stay inside your body, isn't it? are-are you okay?!" Sans's constricted eye-lights searched her for any injury fearfully. 

 

"...Hey, blues--" Samara wheezed as she slowly picked herself up again. "--I'm okay, okay? You... you mentioned some sorta bar slash diner earlier, right?" she asked, maneuvering the subject away from the previous incident. 

 

"h-huh? oh, yeah." 

 

The brunette muttered a thanks as he helped her help, and heaved leaned on him as she suggested with a weak grin. "We should go there after I clean myself up. And don't worry, you silly bonehead, this is, unfortunately, something that happens with me a lot." well, that technically wasn't a lie.

 

Her comedian buddy didn't look convinced, though. Come to think of it, nobody did. Thankfully, he just let it be. She interally promised she would at least explain everything to him, but not now. "...okay. um, d-do you need help?"

 

***FLIRT**

 

"Oh my~! Calm down there, blues, you haven't even taken me out on a date first!" 

 

He just stared up at her in confusion until it clicked, and his skull instantly flushed indigo. "s-screw off!" he spat back defensively and sprang away from her, unintentionally causing her to wobble since her support was taken away. And then he stomped toward the front door, muttering half-hearted insults under his breath. "s-stupid flirty human.... always gotta... why me?"

 

Before he could even escape, Undyne blocks his path and very suddenly picks him up. "FUHUHUHu! Why don't you just say 'Baka', you little tsundere?!"

 

"'d-dyne!" he squawks indignantly and flails in her arms, yet she didn't even budge an inch. "lemme go!"

 

Samara might have laughed herself to insanity while she went to the bathroom to clean up the blood on her body. 

 

Their plans _might_ be delayed for a little while...

 

~~~

 

An hour later, Samara was sitting at the bar in Grillby's diner, and she swore there were some sort of angels singing when she first bit into the burger. Yeah yeah, cliche saying, but she means it!

 

"Mm~! Sho ghood!" she squealed in-between bites of her burger, and the skeleton sitting beside her seemed fairly enthused by her reaction to the food, his eye-lights dilated and bright as he watched her.

 

Sans plopped his elbows on the bar, set his skull on the backs of his metacarpals, and beamed at her cutely. "'m glad your enjoyin' it, sam." his tone seems a bit too sugary, but Samara was too lost in happy-land to try and figure him out right now.

 

The other skeleton, while nervously staring at the literally hot bartender that was constantly throwing him little smirks whenever he passed, incredulously questioned them. "How Can You ENJOY This Grease Hole?!"

 

"Paps," Undyne looped an arm around his vertebrae and roughly knuckled his skull. "stop being a whiny little bitch!"

 

"Goodness, Undyne, mind your language! And Papyrus, manners!" Toriel scolded the guppy, whom flushed and released her equally as flustered deputy.

 

"I Am So Sorry!"

"Eh, yeah... sorry boss lady."

 

Samara and Sans exchanged looks, and giggled to one another as the two older monsters were scolded.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Am. So. Freaking. Sorry.
> 
> I did NOT mean for this hiatus to go on for so long, I swear! I'm so, so sorry! I know this is short and choppy, but it's all I can do right now! I'm under a lot of stress, what with the overload of homework and projects and STAAR tests and all'a that. I'm finding it hard to update all of my stories. 
> 
> So... I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you're still tuned in, that is. 
> 
> (I'm so sorry!!!! D':)


	16. I'm sorry

Hiya, darlings!

 

Unfortunately, I may have to put this story on hiatus until I've at least finished "Berry foul attitude", because it's difficult to control so many stories at once, especially with the stress of the STAAR tests and all of that.

 

Even when I've finished "Berry foul attitude", I'll probably be focusing more on "Brotherly LoVe" and "Who Are The Real Monsters Here?". 

 

Sorry for the inconvenience, my friends! Here's a cute picture to look at instead!


	17. Okay, I'm sorry.

Guuuuys... I lost motivation for this stooooory...

 

So I'm going to slap it and turn it completely around!

 

I'll leave this up for reading, but I don't really feel happy with most of what I did in this story anymore, so if you're willing to give me a chance to figure it all out, that would be awesome! I'm going to be changing HUGE plot things and characters and stuff, so BE PREPARED FOR THAT!

 

In fact, it's going to be little to nothing like this story. Hopefully in a way that makes it's better. 

 

...I mean, I might update on this, too, just to try and get the satisfaction of having it done.

 

Until I decide what to do, this story will go on a full hiatus.

 

...Welp!

 

LATER~!


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